The Art of Impalement
by LaFlorDelMar
Summary: Chapter 15 up. 300 seconds was all the time it took for Relena and her bodyguard, Heero, to be drawn into a mesmerizing world ruled by a master knife-thrower and her target. RelenaxTrowa and CatherinexHeero, Rated T for occasional strong language and a bit of lime
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, only the plot. Friendly reviews and constructive criticism appreciated.

xxxxx

She was going to die.

Spots appeared before her eyes and refused to dissipate. Her heart was racing. Red-faced, her chest heaved as she struggled to fill her lungs with air. She would have signaled for help, but there was no reserve strength for such an action. Tears began to stream down her eyes.

It hurt too much. Her entire being trembled, rigid as spasms upon spasms wracked her body. Why wasn't she dead yet? Asphyxiation was imminent.

A hearty slap on the back caused her to gasp and she managed to suck in more air before being overcome with laughter once again.

Heero Yuy eyed his charge with slight unease. He was already uncomfortable with the present situation, and her behavior was doing nothing to help. When her face slowly changed from bright red to purple, he grabbed hold of her head with both hands and applied pressure until her eyes were on his. "Calm down. You are twenty-three, for Christ's sake, not seven. I will not have you hyperventilating because of...of..." He faltered, gesturing to the performance before them. "Because of an immature food fight and well-timed punchlines."

Relena Dorlain's glare rivaled his own as she caught her breath. "It was your idea to come here. Since I paid for the tickets and the food _and_ the carnival games, I expect you to let me enjoy myself. Even if that includes hyperventilation. Besides, you didn't even win me a prize." She removed his hands and leaned forward to watch the rest of the act, laughing even louder to spite him. Despite her poise and elegance in the political arena, she was not above indulging in such childish acts around Heero.

Her bodyguard and best friend scowled at her profile, but she took no notice so he contented himself with doing an unblinking surveillance of their vicinity – mostly to reassure himself that Relena was safe, but partly to keep from replying that it was _her_ fault they were here. And Trowa's, indirectly. A month before, Heero had delivered the quarterly report for his department to Lady Une and her aides, as well as Relena, which had been coincidental. Though the Vice Minister had been a key factor in the creation of the Preventers organization, as well as employing several Preventers as bodyguards, she had little to do with how they operated and did not sit in on their meetings.

What did any of this information have to do with the two of them being at the circus this very instant?

During the meeting, Heero had brought up that although Trowa Barton did not work within his department, he would like to be informed when his comrade's Preventer status changed from 'on-call' to 'civilian'. Relena could count the times she had met the mysterious pilot of Heavyarms on one hand, but she had recalled that his original cover was the role of an acrobat. That led to an aside about how she had never been to the circus. She had then proceeded to duck her head and apologize for her interjection.

What brilliant plan had been seeded in his brain from that easily forgettable comment?

Why, taking her to the circus, of course! In truth, she was in need of a vacation, even if it was for one day. Her last day off had been well over a year ago; to the chagrin of her small family, she had been forced to work through two of her own birthdays and the winter holiday that occurred in between. The plan would never have crossed his mind if it weren't for a certain emerald-eyed acquaintance of his.

Damn Trowa for deciding to be a _clown _of all things.

So here they were. He glanced over at her once more. She had calmed down, but she was still giggling. He just didn't understand why people found clowns so amusing. Others found them terrifying; it only served to confuse him further.

Heero had asked Trowa what made clowns so funny once. His response had been less than enlightening: "Maybe you should come to the circus some time." For some reason, the Perfect Soldier had never gotten around to it.

Until now.

As the clowns made a comical exit, the bright lights dimmed to movie theater darkness. The final act was beginning. Bass drums thundered within the confines of the huge tent and spotlights blazed multicolored paths across the ground. A rectangular slab of wood – a few inches larger than an average door – had been mounted to a metal frame in such a way that it looked almost like a makeshift inversion table on wheels and was hauled to the center of the ring by two clowns, metal chains dragging in the dirt. Another clown carried a large piece of heavy black canvas.

He watched as the workers set up for the routine he had come to see. Trowa had mentioned that he and Catherine had concocted a new stunt when Heero called to make arrangements for Relena to go to the show . Knowing those two, it wouldn't be short on thrills. Their last project had been perfecting the Veiled Wheel trick. Since 1930 AD only 23 couples had performed it with any success.

The circus's claim to fame was the knife-throwing act. Catherine had received the chance to learn the art of impalement from a master that was willing to travel with the circus while he taught her. She couldn't believe her luck. She trained every day for two years before he deemed her a master. It had been a happy day for her, to say the least. Since then, she and Trowa had changed up their routines on a regular basis. It became the most popular act within weeks. Before anyone knew it, they were one of the most popular circuses in existence and had remained that way. More than a few performances had been graced by the presence of celebrities.

Whistling and risque compliments came close to drowning out the drums as Catherine and Trowa stepped into the center of the ring, arms raised to their audience. Relena was checking a new message labeled 'urgent' on her PDA and didn't look up, but Heero's attention did not waver from the siblings below. He was shocked out of silence. "What the fuck."

The knife-throwing master wore a forest green bikini top under a short-sleeved fitted shrug. Her arms were encased in elbow-length fingerless gloves. The rest of her torso was bared until the beginning of a garter skirt that hugged her frame, resting low on her hips. The color matched her bra. A tassel fringe, the same deep gold as her shrug, hemmed the skirt all the way around. Her ensemble was completed with sheer black seamed thigh highs and strappy green heels.

The target wore his half mask, loose-fitting pants with stripes to match his sister's colors...and nothing else.

Heero's abrupt obscenity pulled the Vice Minister's attention back to the circus. She glanced at her bodyguard and her face broke out into a grin. Snickering, Relena reached over to clamp his jaw shut. He looked dumbfounded with his eyes wider than she had ever seen them. He didn't seem to register her presence. "What's gotten into y –"

Without taking his eyes off of the performers, he grabbed her chin and wrenched her head straight. Her eyes flitted between Catherine and Trowa, coming to rest on the latter. He had been the clown wearing the ridiculous rainbow-colored wig, oversized pants and the half-mask. She sucked air in through her mouth sharply when she realized that she recognized the target. She tore her eyes away from the former Gundam pilot to glare at Heero for not telling her this was Trowa's circus, but then her eyes strayed back to the picture of masculine perfection below, resisting the urge to lick her lips. She was parched all of a sudden.

Relena was naturally modest about her feelings toward the opposite sex (almost a prude, if you wanted Dorothy's professional opinion), but there were times when she would catch herself checking out guys on her way to work or during lunch. One time, Duo swore she had nearly drooled. Now was one of those times. No matter how badly she may have wanted to, or how rude it was to stare, she could not stop drinking in the sight of the former Gundam pilot.

She didn't really want to.

She had seen Heero and Duo with their shirts off countless times. Even Wufei, during her martial arts lessons. Relena knew they were handsome men, but it didn't seem like anything to get worked up over. This guy, her brain had apparently decided, you are going to get worked up over. Her body felt tingly, a sweet ache tugging in the pit of her stomach. She squirmed in her seat.

Trowa was beautiful. No other word came to mind. His chestnut hair shone softly in the blue and purple light and his one visible eye gleamed as he scanned the crowd. For the length of two heartbeats it seemed that he gazed right at her, but then his head turned, body following, and he was allowing himself to be strapped to the door. Though relaxed, Relena could see the contours of his sculpted arms, chest and abdomen clearly. Broad shoulders, narrow hips. A swimmer's body.

That idea led to one involving Trowa and water and she blushed, shaking her head in bemusement at her own thoughts. She hardly knew the man!

The two clowns that had brought out the contraption Trowa was now strapped to began the task of unfolding the canvas. Relena's eyes widened in response to her realization that they were going to cover him with it. Catherine wouldn't be able to see her target! They lifted the canvas to drape it over the door.

Gasps and murmurs of shock raced through the audience when the third clown stepped behind Catherine with a silky black scarf. The knife thrower held still while the scarf was draped across her eyes and secured in place with a tight knot. The Vice Minister and her bodyguard were both staring with gaping mouths as the black canvas covering the target was secured shut with snaps at the bottom. The two clowns rose and positioned themselves on either side of the contraption.

The clown assisting Catherine held up a large wooden box for the audience to see. She flipped open the lid to reveal a set of twelve transparent, almost boring-looking, throwing knives. The only interest they held was the odd, mesmerizing way they reflected rainbows when light hit them."Where in the hell did she get those?" Heero hissed through clenched teeth. Relena glanced over, startled.

"Those knives?" Her voice betrayed her confusion. "They look like they belong in a silverware drawer."

His answer was drowned out by cries of excitement and fear. People all around them were pointing at the ceiling of the tent and so they tilted their heads back to see what the fuss was about. It took Relena a second to grasp the situation. Thick wooden boards dangling from some transparent rope-like material were being lowered by acrobats balancing on the tight rope like a murder of crows on a telephone wire.

"Are they nuts?" Relena demanded. The boards swayed gently, creating a staggered maze between Catherine and Trowa. Some of the boards had holes the size of large dinner plates cut out of them. Her hand clamped down on Heero's arm at the same time Catherine's hands were placed on the box containing the knives. She drew them out and held the blades between her fingertips, curving her palm so that they gave the appearance of being a fan.

The clown touched Catherine's shoulder and backed away. The drums stopped abruptly. A blanket of silence fell upon the tent. The knife thrower yelled, "Go!" The acrobats rocked their bodies in a natural rhythm, causing every other board to swing in the opposite direction as the others. The clowns began to spin the door. Soon it was nothing but a black blur.

Heero watched streaks of light that had been knives at one point twist, curve and dance to their target. Though he watched the display with his own eyes, his brain was having difficulty understanding that it was humanly capable to throw knives in a way that gave them life. What other explanation could there be for the way they narrowly avoided obstacles and stuck in the rotating door without bouncing off? It was almost too much to believe and he had seen a lot.

The exhibit lasted a mere five minutes, but it was safe to say that those 300 seconds had stunned even the most skeptical of viewers, especially when Catherine walked over to her target, retrieved a knife and sliced a Trowa-shaped hole in the canvas – still wearing the blindfold. She pulled the loose fabric down to reveal both her brother and the fact that he had caught one of her knives with his teeth.

Up until Trowa was released from his chains, the tent had remained consumed by silence. The spell was broken when his sister slid the knife from between his teeth and used it to cut her blindfold away. They took the blaring noise of shouts, whistles and applause in stride, bowing repeatedly to all, with Catherine blowing kisses.

Relena had been cheering from her seat, but stood after the people in front of her blocked her sight. She looked down at Heero to see if he was bothered by the obstructed view and glared when she found him slouched in his seat, legs sprawled before him and hands cupped behind his head. Regardless of the Duo-esque pose, which was oddly endearing, she felt he should be applauding his comrade and the knife thrower.

"Can't you at least pretend to be awed?" she shouted in his ear, tugging on his jacket collar. The noise swelled to a deafening roar as the entire circus troupe filled the ring and took bows. He refused to budge from his seat, even after the large crowd began to disperse. "Show's over," Relena reminded him. "Aren't we leaving?"

"I told Trowa that we would spend some time with him and Catherine after the show," Heero replied with a smirk. Now that most potential threats had evacuated the premises, the bodyguard stood down before the best friend, though the only noticeable difference between the two was he suddenly had a personality.

Her face was neutral as she nodded. "That sounds lovely," she said, standing. She had to struggle not to clench her hands around his neck. "I hope they have tea."

"It won't be that fancy stuff that Quatre drinks," he warned as he led her down the bleacher steps.

"Because that matters," she snapped, her voice sarcastic. The irritation she had suppressed earlier was seething through her entire body. How _dare_ he put her in yet another unexpected situation!

She was pleased as punch that he had thought to take her out and she didn't completely mind the idea of chatting with some of Heero's friends. It was only awful because in a matter of minutes she had developed a crush and was now going to be forced to talk to him.

Relena shook her head. A crush. How juvenile.

Heero looked at her warily. Relena seldom became angry. When she did, it was unpleasant for everyone involved. "I know that I should have told you my complete agenda," he admitted, grabbing hold of her elbow to slow her down. "I don't see why this is affecting you so negatively."

"Gee, maybe because I just realized that Trowa is drop-dead gorgeous and I don't even know him." Horrified, she slapped both hands over her mouth. "You are not allowed to tell him I said that," she hissed, glaring up at him. "I mean it. Not one word, Yuy."

Heero maintained his hold on her and his silence as they walked. He did not trust himself to say something placid. Not for the first time, he appreciated his vigorous training. Having a poker face had never come in handy as often as it did when he had to try not to laugh at Relena. They stepped over the knee-high barrier that outlined the arena and paused. Heero's eyes scanned the faces of various troupe members, searching for a certain pair of siblings.

Trowa noticed and raised his arm, standing near the back of the tent by a large ice chest filled with bottles of water and soda. Catherine was crouched low to the ground, fiddling with the buckles on her shoes. "I hate these shoes," she complained, craning her neck to look up at her little brother. "If only they weren't so awesome."

"The price you pay for sex appeal," he deadpanned and she swatted his leg. "They're here."

She managed to free her feet from the wicked stilettos and stood. She looked Heero up and down with a critical eye. "Did you come to apologize for brainwashing Trowa into killing himself?" Relena could hardly keep her eyes from ping-ponging between the two, her facial features held in a careful mask to hide her shock when Heero blanched and Catherine laughed. The woman certainly had a unique way of greeting people.

The knife thrower turned to the her next. "Minister Dorlain, it is an honor and a pleasure to have you attend our show," she welcomed with a cheerful smile, and held out her right hand. With her left, she nudged her brother in the ribs. "Isn't that right? My name is Catherine, by the way. I assume you have already met the famous Trowa Barton?"

Relena could only nod as she shook hands. The chatty woman's sunny disposition was infectious; in seconds, a grin was spreading across her face. "Please, just call me Relena. I hear enough of 'Minister Dorlain' this and 'Miss Dorlain' that at work. It grows tiresome quickly."

"Well, _Relena_, what do you think of our circus? I've heard a rumor that this is your first time to one."

"Is that so?" Relena sent Heero a dark look before adding, "Unfortunately, that rumor has truth to it, but...I _loved_ it! The animals, the trapeze artists and tightrope walkers, the clowns..." She laughed, remembering the hilarious act. "And of course you two were simply amazing. I thought my heart dropped below my stomach when that clown blindfolded you." She paused, realizing that she was beginning to babble. "Um, I like your knives," she finished lamely.

"Thanks. They were a gift from Trowa." Catherine gave the man a tender look, eyes shining with adoration. He graced her with a small smile in return. Relena's own smile slipped and Heero pinched her arm. Their eyes met and she gave a slight nod of understanding, forcing her lips to stretch back into a grin.

'Of course he has a girlfriend,' she told herself sternly. 'Get over yourself, Dorlain.'

"I want to examine those knives," Heero stated and his tone brooked no room for argument. A cryptic look was shared between him and Trowa. Relena caught the subtle nod toward her, but refrained from commenting.

"You could at least say please," Catherine grumbled, after looking to Trowa to see if there was something wrong. Whatever she read in his eyes reassured her. "They've been taken to my trailer. Come on. I have to change anyway." Before he could protest, she had his arm looped through hers. "We can catch up on the way. It's been nearly a decade since I've seen you." He shot Relena a bewildered glance, beseeching her for help.

Justice was served! "Be on your best behavior," she warned, shaking a finger at him mockingly. When they had retreated, she realized that aside from a handful of people cleaning up the bleachers, she was alone with Trowa. She racked her brain for something to say.

He spoke first.

"I need to change." He turned in the direction Catherine and Heero had left and twisted his head to look back at her as though waiting for something. Relena didn't move. Times that she found herself without a clue as to what she should do were few and far between, but this was shaping up to be one. She doubted it would be appropriate to follow him, but she was uncomfortable with the idea of being alone in the dim, mostly empty tent.

The thought in and of itself was sheer lunacy. It felt like she wished she could just dismiss everyone and be alone twenty times a day. Now, confronted with her first chance at real solitude in years, she found herself to be reluctant. It was just too funny.

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing lest he think her insane, but it hurt her 100% more than it helped. Giggles poured forth and she was helpless to stop the onslaught. Her poor mind had been through too much this night. It passed quickly and she tried not to be obvious about her labored breathing.

She sneaked a peak at Trowa and was mortified to find him still watching her, his expression blank. Since he wasn't offering up any hint as to what he expected her to do, it was clear that she would have to take charge. She started by clearing her throat. "Excuse me, I had a funny thought." She gestured behind her to the bleachers. "I'll just sit there until Heero comes back."

"Suit yourself." He continued on his way. Relena headed to the closest seat and perched lightly on the edge, smoothing her khaki skirt.

"See? This isn't so bad," she murmured under her breath. Her heart had just settled into a steady rhythm when the lights went out. Absorbed in her thoughts, she had failed to notice that cleanup was over, just as the workers had failed to notice her before they left. Her immediate thought was that someone had cut the power, but she shook her head in the dark. "You've been hanging around Heero too much. Nobody's after you."

She rose and made her way to the exit, walking with exaggerated slowness. Her legs bumped against the barrier and she stepped over, proud of herself for not tripping. It had been foolish to wear three-inch heels to the circus, even if they were categorized as sandals.

A focused beam of light was leveled on her and she brought up one hand to shield her eyes, slipping into a defensive stance. Just because she was a pacifist didn't mean she ignored Wufei's lessons on self-defense. "Could you please lower that light? It's even more difficult to see now than it was when I was blind."

The light was redirected at her knees and she blinked rapidly to stop the afterimages blossoming before her. The light bobbed gently as the person wielding it stepped closer. "They forgot to leave the light on for you." A pleasant baritone reached her ears. "I half-expected to find you huddled in a corner."

Trowa had returned for her. Apparently he had traded his mask in for a flashlight. As happy as it made her (which it shouldn't, she berated herself), she was irritated with his remark. "Well, Captain Obvious, turns out I'm a self-rescuing princess." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at him, mimicking his earlier blank face.

To her surprise, he smiled and swept an arm before him, indicating she should take the lead so that they could exit the tent. She bent her knees in a quick, effortless curtsy and walked out into the fresh air. She tilted her head back to look at the sky. The view of the stars from space was always beautiful, but to her it never beat looking at them from Earth. Tonight was no exception. She spun to face her companion. "Where to now?"

He took the lead, winding a path through the circus grounds to the beginnings of a forest where the caravans had been set up in neat rows. Most of them were newer models used for camping. Only a handful, like the one he was leading her to currently, looked like the gypsy caravans she had seen in old movies.

Her eyes roamed over the ornately carved awning that protected the brightly painted wooden steps and small porch leading to the front door. As she stepped closer she saw that the railing posts had intricate curlicues carved into them. From the deceivingly simple wooden panels that covered the sides and back to the shutters drawn closed over the windows, there was a level of detail that was stunning.

She stepped closer to study the panels and was delighted to find that a fine, delicate latticework adorned with tiny flowers and vines had been carved into them. It was obvious that the work had been done by hand. Even the wicker shutters sported an intricate weave.

"This way." Trowa's voice broke through her oblivious admiration. She followed him through the screen door he kept propped open. It banged behind her, bouncing once before settling.

The interior was lit by two wall sconces that hung on either side of a large, yellowed map. Though the lighting was dim, it was not difficult to see that the inside was sparsely furnished. A wide door at the back of the caravan led to what she assumed was a bathroom; a yellow duck-shaped sign had been nailed into it. There was a changing screen with Circus posters plastered all over it, a dresser, a tiny antique-looking stove and a small table with two chairs built into the wall.

Shelves lined the walls where space was available, but the only objects she could identify with total confidence were a tea set and books. So many books! She wished she could make out the print on the spines. Would it be rude to ask him to turn up the lights so that she could study his home better?

Yes. Yes it would

Lips clamped together tightly, her eyes continued their limited observation. There was a stand meant to hold sheet music in one corner. Above it, on a shelf, lay a flute case. Nowhere did she see a bed. "Do you play?"

"Hm?" He reached around her and flipped a switch, setting the flashlight in a holster mounted beside the front door. The sudden brightness caused her to squint.

When her eyes had adjusted, she turned to look at him. "Do you play the fl- oh my!" She tilted her head back and stared in awe. The entire ceiling was made of glass. It would have made an impressive sunroof because of its enormity, but it made Relena forget to breathe because it was a vibrant, stained glass mural.

Of the numerous castles, churches and art museums she had explored throughout her life, this became an instant favorite, and the list was short. Keeping her head back, she began to walk the length of the caravan. There was no obvious pattern to the placement of the colored glass tiles, but the swirls of color made her feel at once happy and calm.

"Trowa, this is amazing," she admitted quietly, blushing when his hand fell upon her shoulder.

"You're about to run into a door," he replied and she lowered her gaze. Of course his words were true. "And, thank you."

"You're welcome." To end her embarrassment, she tapped the duck hanging before her. "We had signs like this for the bathrooms when I was in kindergarten."

"Catherine was hoping to make it seem more cheerful." Though his tone hinted at exasperation, his lips twitched upward, not quite a smirk. "It's my bedroom. There are bathrooms located elsewhere."

Great. Now she felt stupid _and_ confused. The caravan couldn't be large enough to hold a bedroom – could it? Reading the puzzled expression on her face, he motioned her to step behind him. Once she was out of the way, he pulled the door open and reached up to unhinge a clasp. The rest of the wall swung open the opposite way, revealing a queen-sized bed that rested atop a low wall of drawers. Beyond the bed was a curtained window set into the back wall of the caravan.

The comforter was a deep wine color; at least, what she could see of it was. A majority of the bed's surface was covered with pillows ranging in size and shape, all of them donning chocolate and beige striped pillowcases. Amid the mound sat a worn-looking stuffed tiger. One patch of fur was thinning, and coarse gold thread was a telltale that holes had been patched in several places. The once-round animal had been flattened by repeated trips held under someone's arm. It was small, about the same size as her own well-loved teddy bear that sat on her bed. She refrained from asking if the tiger had a name.

Returning to her earlier curiosity, she asked, "Do you play the flute?"

If he was confused by her topic of choice, he hid it well. "I learned young. I play it on occasion." He shrugged. "I'm going to change. You can sit if you want."

Relena raised a skeptical brow. "Will it include a shirt this time around?"

He took some clothes from the dresser and walked behind the screen, failing to answer, but glanced in her direction. She swore he was almost grinning.

Trowa reappeared a minute later in a black t-shirt and faded jeans. Her heart nearly skipped a beat. Even in the most basic of garb, the former Gundam pilot looked..."Scrumptious." Did she really just say that out loud? Lucky for her he hadn't noticed her ogling him. She gestured to a canister of tea, thanking Quatre for his unique taste. "Jasmine phoenix pearl is one of my favorites."

"I have to feed the animals. I can make a pot when I'm finished."

"Thanks." She glanced up at him. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something more. "What?"

"Would you prefer to stay or go?"

"Oh." Deja vu. She bit the inside of her cheek. "Will you get in trouble for allowing me to join you?"

"No." With that, she followed him to the door and shifted her weight from one foot to the other as he turned off the overhead light and grabbed the flashlight. Relena closed both doors behind her and quickened her pace to keep up with his long strides.

The animal tents were closer to the caravans than the main tent, but Relena's feet were becoming tired of being held in an arched position within her sandals. "Would it be a bad idea for me to go barefoot?" Though determined to keep up with her long-legged companion, it was becoming difficult.

He slowed his pace, glancing down at her footwear . "I wouldn't. Wait here." He handed her the flashlight and vanished.

Relena looked up at the star-filled night and breathed deep of the summer air. She felt relaxed, not even a little bit bothered by being left alone in a field.

She was practicing her penmanship with the beam from the flashlight when Trowa returned, tossing a pair of thin, purple flip-flops before her. She dropped down beside them, regardless of potential grass stains, and pulled her heels off. She wiggled her toes in relief before standing and slipped on the borrowed shoes. They were a size too big, but she couldn't have cared less. Her feet were in heaven.

They entered the tent containing the lions and tigers. Relena was surprised to see that instead of cages with metal bars, the large cats were held in what looked like giant terrariums. "We received funds from the Happy Homes, Happy Animals foundation to improve our animals' living conditions," he explained when she asked about them.

"Quatre and I attended a benefit for them once two years ago." She smiled, remembering how jealous some of the women had been to discover that her, of all people, had been Quatre's date. "How do you feed them?"

He pointed out a transparent door and several windows that slid open. He walked over to a refrigerator standing in one corner and pulled out several massive steaks. "These are for the lions." When he fed them, he stuck his arm through the window, allowing the big cats to rub against him and lick his fingers. His smile was gentle as he interacted with them. Relena stepped closer to watch. The lions eyed her warily, but ignored her in favor of their feeder.

When they had eaten their fill, he went back to the fridge and beckoned for his unusual guest to follow him.

She was not what he had been expecting, he mused while he handed her two comically over-sized baby bottles. He saw her on the news frequently, giving speeches or arguing with men that were twice her age and twice as experienced. She was always civil and dressed demurely – although he had to admit she posssessed a great body – giving an appearance of being almost weak, but she exuded strength and maturity when she stood her ground, and her proposals were practical and sound, as opposed to idealistic and dreamy.

Heero had nothing but good to say about her, but that was no surprise. In his eyes she was good, smart, caring, attractive; blah, blah, blah. Trowa harbored great respect for him, but the man appeared to be biased in everything he had to say about her. Of course, it was rumored that he was in love with her.

Trowa took his opinions with a grain of salt.

After spending some time with her, he had to admit that she was pleasant to be around. He had figured she would be polite, but also to be timid or a total chatterbox, which is how most women acted around him. The way she dealt with her emotions surprised him as well. On television she was ever poised and calm, but here at the circus she wore her heart on her sleeve for the most part.

And she had a sense of humor. Go figure.

Relena looked down at the bottles in her arms. "What are these for?"

"Our female tiger gave birth about two weeks ago. She isn't producing enough milk, so we're supplementing. Usually the vets do this, but they went to buy more supplies," he explained and grabbed two steaks.

"Do they know why she isn't producing enough?" she asked as they headed to the other terrarium.

"She became ill several days before she delivered. One cub was stillborn. The others are healthy, but a little weak."

"I'm so sorry." Her voice was distant, almost sorrowful. "I can't imagine what that would be like."

"Do you want to help me feed the cubs?"

"Are you serious?" She clutched the baby bottles to her chest, not quite willing to believe him.

"It's easier with two people." He set the meat on a table beside the door to the enclosure. "Lily might not be comfortable with you in there. Try not to startle her. You have to wear gloves while handling the cubs. Are you allergic to latex?"

"No." She took the gloves he pushed her way, enjoyed the snapping sound the cuffs made against her skin. "Paging Dr. Relena," she mumbled under her breath with a smile. One corner of Trowa's mouth curved upward the slightest bit.

"Come on." He led her to the new mother and her babies. Two of the cubs were feeding. Two more were nearby, but out of sight. "Hello, Lily." His voice was soft. He glanced at the Vice Minister from the corner of his eye. "Hold out your hand to her. I'll stop her if she tries to bite or scratch."

"If you say so." She took a deep breath and held it, extended her hand toward the exotic animal. She avoided eye contact as Lily smelled her. The large cat gave a low growl before offering a feeble lick. She couldn't believe it. She had just been licked by a tiger!

She watched as Trowa placed the steaks before Lily, then crouched low to the ground when she heard faint mewling coming from behind a rock near Lily's tail. The third cub emerged on wobbly legs. "Aw, how cute!" she said, stretching the "aw" part. Her voice was just above a whisper so she wouldn't frighten the little ball of fur away. It was still mewling,but headed in her direction. She guessed it could smell the milk or whatever the liquid was in the bottle. "Trowa, what do I do?"

He looked over, keeping one hand on Lily's shoulder. "Hold it the way you would a human infant. Make sure to support its head and neck, then put the bottle to its mouth. The cub will do the rest."

She did as he instructed, surprised by how little it weighed and how soft its fur was. This was a whole new level of cuteness. More mewling began and presently the last cub emerged from its hiding spot. "Hello there, little one," she greeted. It rubbed against her and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Trowa, here's another one."

Abandoning his post, he scooped the other cub up and took a seat beside Relena. He cradled the baby in his arms and touched the bottle to its tiny mouth. The cub instantly latched on. They sat in silence for several minutes while the cubs and their mother ate their fill. Relena's cub nuzzled closer to her chest and she rested her cheek lightly on its head, laughing softly.

He glanced at Lily to see if the sound bothered her. On the contrary, her ears had pricked up and she began to purr as she chewed on her steak. He turned his attention to Relena and blinked, surprised by the surge of admiration that swept through him.

Cuddling with the two-week-old tiger cub, she was the epitome of bliss. Instant realization dawned and it was clear to see why Heero loved her. Her personality was bright and happy and it shone through, making her curiously beautiful – an adjective he never would have used to describe her. Pretty, okay. Beautiful? Not until now.

She resembled a girl scarcely over eighteen with her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. Her eyes were closed, full lips stretched in a languorous smile. She looked as though she had her heart's desire.

Eyes still closed, she said, "You know, working in a circus would be a dream come true to me sometimes."

"Hard to imagine you dreaming about anything unrelated to peace."

She cracked one eye open to look at him. "I have normal dreams like anyone else."

"Like what? Buying the perfect pair of shoes or dating your dream guy?" His tone was ambiguous.

She snorted, startling the tiger cub. She wasn't sure how she felt about discussing her dreams with this quiet, gorgeous creature. They were little more than acquaintances.

She decided to turn the question around on him. "Do you ever dream of finding the perfect shoes or dating the perfect girl? Tell me, Trowa, do you ever dream about me?" She hadn't meant to add the last inquiry. At least her tone was light. She batted her eyelashes to play her question off as teasing.

She didn't expect an answer. In truth, she was surprised that he was saying as much as he was. How many times had she heard Duo complain about having to work with a mute? Which was why she jumped when he said, "Once. After we talked in Antarctica." His tone seemed a little warmer than before. Shrugging one shoulder, he added, "I don't remember the specifics, but I do remember you being in it."

How was she supposed to respond? She met Trowa's gaze and felt like she was standing under a microscope. Wufei had told her how intense it could be to have Trowa's complete attention on you. He had then gone on to say that if she only applied herself to her lessons with that same level of focus, she would be a "red belt" by now.

She wasn't uncomfortable, exactly; she was simply unused to someone focusing on just her when she wasn't being televised. Even Heero never gave her all of his attention. He was always preoccupied with security, which was fine by her.

She was positive that if she trusted him, she would find it comforting. But she didn't trust him.

Probably wouldn't take too much effort on his part for that to happen. She was smitten. There was no getting around the fact, so she might as well save herself the trouble and admit it straight up. What that out of the way, maybe now she could function properly.

The sound of Trowa clearing his throat broke her reverie. How had her mind possibly managed to both ignore the fact that he had his gaze locked on her and decide that it was time for some inner reflection? She was desperate for a clever remark, but the best she came up with was, "I hope it was pleasant then." Her voice cracked at the end and she turned her head away, a slow blush creeping up her neck. She felt like an awkward teenager.

"I can't imagine why it wouldn't have been." His tone was neutral, but when she dared to face him again his lips quirked upward the slightest bit. An emotion she thought she recognized was lurking in his eyes.

It was difficult to grasp a sense of what he was trying to convey, much the same as it had been with Heero at first.

Then it hit her. He was teasing her and her reaction amused him. He wasn't laughing aloud; he was either too polite or he didn't know how to laugh. Too polite, she supposed. He was a clown, after all. He must know how to laugh.

The cubs had fallen asleep. Trowa helped her settle the babies near their mother and they left the tent. He still had that almost-smile playing on his lips. Desperate to rid herself of the ball of nerves jangling around in the pit of her stomach she asked, "Do you and your girlfriend always dress half-naked for a show?"

Trowa raised a brow and his smile widened. "You mean Catherine?"

"Yes." Her jaw dropped seconds later. It was unbecoming, but she was powerless to do a thing about it. Trowa was laughing like she had told a fantastic joke and the sound was beautiful and melodious and irritating. She had somehow missed the punchline.

"Older sister. I don't have a girlfriend," he explained when he caught her pouting.

Relena cursed Heero mentally for not giving her even a single glimpse into the life of the man she was spending time with. This made the whole night more complicated. Or embarrassing?

They continued walking, side by side instead of follow the leader, and he glanced down at her, amused by how she seemed to be scolding herself. It was surprising that Heero hadn't come to claim her yet.

"I should apologize for Cathy keeping your boyfriend from you for so long," he commented after checking the time on his phone.

She met his gaze for half a second before she doubled over, laughing so hard that her legs threatened to stop supporting her. Tears were forming. She clutched her sides. "Oh it hurts, it hurts," she moaned between bouts of giggles. When she had regained her composure she said, "Are you kidding? We're not remotely interested in one another romantically. Did Heero tell you that we were?"

His face was blank again. "No." Now he felt like an ass. He wondered if that's how she felt when she had assumed he was dating Catherine. It wasn't pleasant.

"Good. Maybe he's getting better." All conversation ceased as they finished their short walk. They spotted a woman carrying two large buckets away from the tent housing the elephants.

"John and I took care of the elephants since you were tied up with the cubs," she called as they approached.

Trowa nodded his appreciation and turned to head for the caravans. Relena's fingers brushed against his arm and she pulled her hand away quickly. "What do you suppose my bodyguard and your sister are up to?" she asked as she lifted her face to catch the light breeze drifting through, determined not to blush.

"Heero recognized the knives that Catherine used. During the war, we were assigned missions that coincided. The knives once belonged to a business man that got the short end of the bargain."

"Why would he care?"

"They're made out of diamond. Heero wanted to sell them. I didn't." He shrugged. "When I returned to the circus, I gave them to Catherine as an apology for stressing her out."

"How sweet of you." She switched her sandals to her left hand, suddenly interested in examining the buckle. "So. Do you have a girlfriend?" The weight of his stare was heavy upon her shoulders. "I don't want to be attacked for a misunderstanding."

"Ah. I see." Trowa clasped his hands behind his back. "I travel too often to develop any meaningful relationships. What about you?"

Her smile was wry. "Between my job and Heero scaring off every interested male within a hundred miles, I'll probably grow to be a bitter old spinster." She cut herself off before she started to rant. Talking lapsed once again, but both were comfortable with it. They entered his caravan and she removed the flip-flops and set her sandals beside them. The overhead light was left off. Finding herself with nothing to do and appreciating it, Relena sat at the table to watch Trowa prepare tea.

The half-mask lay before her and she picked it up, rotating it as she examined every angle. All of a sudden she had a plethora of questions to ask, the first being how in the hell he kept the mask on his face. She placed it face-up on the table when Trowa set a steaming mug of tea in front of her. She wrapped her hands around the mug, breathing in the subtle aroma of jasmine.

He took over the vacant chair, sitting sideways so that his back rested against the wall, stretching his legs before him. She was still staring at his mask. "Have you figured it out yet?"

"No. Don't tell me the answer."Her voice was fierce and he smirked. She sat back and folded her arms before her chest. "What did I say to amuse you this time?"

He leaned his head back. She was beginning to think he wouldn't answer when he said, "You're not what I expected."

"The same could be said about you," she replied. To his credit, Trowa didn't rise to the bait, although he was interested. She frowned into her tea. "Meh. Are you really going to make me ask you to elaborate?" After a brief silence she added, "If you tell me, I'll tell you. You must be curious." She lifted her eyes to meet his.

The tilted angle of his head allowed both eyes to be visible. They glittered in the dim light, reminding Relena of a feline. "I thought you would be boring like you are on television."

She was surprised into laughter. "I thought you would be an unwilling conversationalist resentful of the fact that Heero dumped me on you." Her smile was coy. "If I'm so boring, then why do you watch me on TV?"

His eyes roamed over what he could see of her figure with a deliberate, leisurely pace before redirecting to her face. His smile was slightly predatory and she shivered. He found her attractive. Point taken. He responded with a question of his own. "Why do you act so dull onstage instead of letting them see the real you?"

"Why do you make conversation the verbal equivalent to pulling teeth?" she countered.

He shook his head. "You first. It's only fair."

Her stomach fluttered. Was he flirting with her? She took several sips of tea before answering, enjoying the change of roles. Now she could make him sweat it out.

Finally she said, "It's quite simple. My job comes with a prerequisite image. At work, I am Relena Dorlain, the Vice Minister of Interplanetary Affairs, and that means that I have to be mature, practical and understanding. Off duty, I am Relena Dorlain, a twenty-three year old with a twisted sense of humor, a love of video games and a sarcastic tongue that can be too quick for my brain at times. What would the public think if they knew that the pacifistic role model enjoyed playing games like _Jak and Daxter_ and reading books like _Choke_?"

She paused, taking another sip of the delicious amber liquid in her mug. "I've tried getting the two to mix, but it causes too many issues. I have to keep them separated. It's a tricky balancing act." A sly grin stretched her lips. "Better hope I never join the circus. My high wire routine would steal the spotlight out from under your knife throwing act."

Trowa twisted in his seat, his elbows resting on the table. He leaned forward until their faces were inches apart. "I have a clown routine to fall back on. Besides, you wouldn't last one minute in the circus, Minister Dorlain."

She held his mask to her face and gave an exaggerated frown. "Guess I'll have to emulate that charming personality of yours," she deadpanned. His lips twitched, but he seemed determined not to crack a smile. She tilted her head to one side, the frown traded in for a glare that screamed "Heero Yuy."

In an almost-perfect imitation of her best friend's monotone she asked, "Why so serious? I'm only clowning around."

"Relena, that's bad."

"I know. Sorry." She placed the mask on the table, glancing at her quiet companion. Once again, she felt like a new specimen on display for a scientist. She resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. "What are you trying to find?"

"You really are unique." He sounded surprised.

"Just like everybody else, right?"

If anyone had asked, neither could give a definite answer to the question of who started laughing first. The end result was the same: both were slumped over the table, wondering two things: why the hell it was so funny and why they couldn't stop laughing.

Two minutes passed before they regained some semblance of calm. Trowa's arms were crossed on the table, his chin resting on the makeshift pillow. Relena mimicked his pose, surprised that they hadn't spilled their tea. She offered him a lazy grin, scrunching up her nose when a lock of stray hair fell forward and tickled it. "I can't remember the last time I laughed so much in one day," she sighed.

He swept the rebellious hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers down her cheek. Without meaning to, she leaned into the gesture. Physical affection was not something she was treated to every day. "I'm glad for you."

She believed him.

The unexpected, tender moment was ruined when Catherine's cheerful voice broke through the consequent silence. The hinges of the screen door screeched as she pulled it open. "Well, what was the big joke, huh? We could hear you two laughing a mile away."

"No part of the circus grounds is a mile from here," Trowa replied. He had pulled away hardly a second before his sister's voice fell upon their ears, but Relena didn't mind. She straightened her spine, raising her arms above her head in a much-needed stretch.

"What took you guys so long?" she asked.

"Heero brought a gun to a knife fight," Catherine sniffed, picking at a loose thread hanging from the cutoffs she had changed in to. "He makes a good target though."

The "target" walked in, the screen door bouncing closed behind him. His stance was rigid. "Minister Dorlain, are you ready for me to escort you home?"

Minister Dorlain suppressed a groan. When he addressed her like that, it meant he was in a very_ bad_ mood. She turned to look at him and found herself suppressing much more than a groan. The recent laughter she had shared with Trowa threatened to bubble up again. His shirt and pants were riddled with small holes and his cheeks betrayed the slightest pink blush. His eyes were downcast, glaring at the floor. Spending almost a decade with the former Perfect Soldier allowed Relena to read his emotions like a picture book. Heero was...embarrassed? Hilarious!

"What did you do to deserve that?" She hadn't meant to ask, not with him looking ready to shoot someone.

"We're leaving." He picked up her sandals and tossed them to her. She caught them reflexively and squelched the temptation to throw them back at him. Heero directed his attention to Trowa. "Thank you for keeping her out of trouble."

Relena bristled at the implication of his words, but forced herself to go through the meditative breathing exercises Wufei had taught her. She stood and faced Catherine, extending her hand. "I had a really lovely time tonight. Thank you so much for everything."

Catherine smiled warmly and took Relena's hand. "It was a pleasure. Don't be a stranger, okay? I'd love to see you and Heero more often." She winked at the former pilot, causing his scowl to deepen.

"Let's go already." He stormed out of the trailer, Catherine following to continue her torment of him. Relena headed out after them, pausing when she reached the door to look back at Trowa.

"You never answered my question."

He stepped closer, towering over her. She hadn't realized just how tall he was. She licked her lips nervously. "Do you want to know the answer?" His voice was low.

"Yes, please." Her own voice was steady, much to her surprise. Her legs felt like gelatin.

"Then I guess you'll have to come back." He propped the door open for her. "Good night, princess." He bowed low.

She dropped into a deep curtsy, inclining her head. "Good evening, harlequin."

...

Although Relena trusted Heero with her life, it did nothing to allay the uneasiness she felt whenever he drove her car over ninety miles per hour. He hadn't spoken a word to her since they had left the circus and the silence was beginning to grate on her nerves. He wouldn't even allow her to turn the radio on.

She crossed her arms and closed her eyes so that she didn't have to survey the quickly passing landscape. "You need to tell me what your issue is or slow the car down. Doing both would be ideal, but I'll settle for either," she huffed when her well of patience had evaporated.

Heero clenched his teeth together. He was unable to understand why Relena was afraid of his driving. It was as if she didn't realize that he had traveled speeds well over a hundred miles an hour when piloting Wing. His reflexes were still sharp and, as he had explained to her before, she was not allowed to die until he (or nature) decided it was time for her to do so. "Would you like to drive?" he snapped.

"Yes, actually. I don't understand the point of owning a car that everyone drives but me," she replied and narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't change the subject. What is the matter with you?"

"None of your business." His grip on the wheel tightened. "Leave it alone."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Heero." Her voice held a note of warning, reminiscent of a mother about to reach the count of three. "You are skating on thin ice. Tell me what the hell your problem is or slow down my goddamned car!"

Whatever answer he was trying to convey came out sounding like his mouth was full of marbles.

"He vio edme?" Relena frowned, concern beginning to take root. Something awful must have happened to make him so unwilling to talk to her about it. They did not often keep secrets from one another. "Heero, please tell me what's going on." She put a hand on his leg. "This isn't about your speeding anymore. I'm starting to worry."

"She violated me." Heero spat the words out as though they left a bad taste in his mouth.

"What! Who?"

"Catherine."

"I see." Her frown deepened. "Do we need to go to the police? Are you hurt?"

"No." The faintest red tinge began to appear, accentuating his cheekbones. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Maybe you should focus on the road so that you can't see my facial expressions!"

"It's called peripheral vision, Minister!"

Relena breathed in slow and deep, held it for a count of ten and reminded herself that it never ended well when they started a shouting match. "I'm sorry that I'm pushing the issue. Obviously whatever she did to you is having a _very _negative effect on you. Are you certain that you don't want to seek out some kind of help?"

"I'm sure." Stony silence enveloped the car. Heero began to relax his jaw muscles, slowing the car to five miles above the speed limit. Curiously, his companion had ceased bothering him about sharing the details of his encounter with Catherine. Maybe the silent treatment was a new method.

Relena was tenacious, if nothing else. She had proved that to him after spending four years badgering, prying, cajoling, coaxing, screaming and pleading with him to accept the fact that he was a human being, not an object, and to start acting like one. No matter how he had tried to block her out, something had gotten through to him and thus began his transformation from one of War's expendable pawns to a man that appreciated sleeping in on the weekends. It didn't seem like much, but to his friends it was as though Heero had learned to breathe underwater.

That was only one example.

He slowed to punch in the code for the gate and parked the car in the spacious stand-alone garage, irritated once again by two facts: most of the car slots were filled with rusty antiques that were unlikely to ever leave and he was forbidden to do anything but look at them. His sigh of annoyance forced Relena to turn away lest he see her smirk. She tried to focus on the fact that it was raining to keep from teasing him.

If there was one thing that was guaranteed to get under Heero's skin, it was rust. She knew it drove him mad every time he entered the garage, but she had been unable to resist Duo's charming speech that outlined why it would be beneficial for her to house his collection – the main reason being she would be graced by his presence when he came to work on the cars. That had been well over two months ago and the cheerful pilot had yet to make an appearance, furthering Heero's annoyance.

"I don't mind if my car is parked outside," Relena said as they side-stepped a pile of scrap metal that Duo had insisted he needed.

Heero sent her a scathing look. "Do you want your car to end up like these?" Not waiting for an answer, he led the way to the door. "When are you going to have that addition built to connect your house to the garage? It isn't safe for you to walk around at night."

"For the sake of my sanity, Yuy, _give it a rest_! The universe is not out to get me!" She stormed past him, regardless of the torrents of rain that fell from the sky. "I'm sick of you treating me like a little girl!"

"Then stop acting like a spoiled brat!" It was rare for him to raise his voice toward her, especially over something so mundane, and it stopped her in her tracks. She executed an abrupt about-face, wet strands of hair whipping against her bare arm. Her glare rivaled his as he continued, "That garage of yours is tetanus waiting to happen, the perimeter fence is beginning to show signs of wear in places, and anyone could pull up to the front gate and shoot you as you walk from your car to the house! Take some responsibility for your well-being!"

"I didn't think I would have to what with having a paranoid psycho for a bodyguard, but since you can't even keep _yourself_ from being assaulted, I may have to rethink my security personnel!" Her poisonous words worked their magic as she intended.

"I was not physically harmed! She pinned me to the wall of her trailer with those damned knives and _kissed _me!"

Relena raised a brow, a victorious smile lighting her face. "You expect me to believe that you were unable to free yourself from the wall despite your ability to escape almost all forms of containment?"

Heero realized that, not for the first time, she had managed to make him confess something he didn't want to confess. "Damn you, Relena Dorlain."

She swept her hands before her in a gesture of helplessness. "It isn't my fault that you're so easily manipulated."

"No wonder you fit so well in the world of politics," he sneered and pushed her toward the house. "We need to get out of this rain."

Relena agreed wholeheartedly and quickened her pace to a risky jog. She glanced to her right before looking for the front door, trying to gauge Heero's mood. "Did you like it?" she yelled over the rumbling thunder.

Heero unlocked the door and yanked her in after him. She closed the heavy oak slab before beginning the daunting task of re-locking it. The deadbolt and knob locks were, of course, a snap; it was the hefty wooden beam that fell across the door that proved difficult. The damn thing weighed almost seventy pounds.

It was the main reason Relena had included weight lifting as an integral part to her previously cardio-only workout.

Heero pushed his dripping hair out of his face, only to have the stubborn locks fall back into place. With a growl of impatience, he shook his head, water droplets flying in all directions. Relena put her hands up, squealing in protest. "You are not a dog! Get a towel like a normal human being."

She rolled her eyes when he ignored her. "What were you referring to when you asked if I liked it?" he asked instead, retrieving a towel from the guest bathroom off the hall. He dropped the cloth on her head. She snatched it away, rubbing her hair with brisk, rough movements.

"Did you like the kiss?"

The question gave him pause. He hadn't thought about the sensation of kissing Catherine, only the humiliation felt. As he reminisced the feel of her mouth against his, he decided it had been pleasant.

Too pleasant.

"We are not going back to that circus. Good night, Relena." That said, he headed upstairs to lock himself away in the room that housed the security system.

Relena finished drying her hair, a wide smile playing on her mouth. Heero would go back to that circus no matter what he said.

"Miss Relena, you are soaked to the bone." Pagan's gentle rebuke freed her from her thoughts. She blushed, glancing at the marble floor. Small puddles of water glistened in the light. Her gaze was redirected to the aging retainer that had stayed with her through the years. He held a cotton robe and a mop.

"I'm terribly sorry, Pagan." She accepted the robe he handed her, dislodging the mop handle from his grasp as well. "I'll clean this up. It's late. You should go to bed."

His smile was gentle as he patted her on the head. "Did you have fun at the circus, little heart?"

She scrunched up her face at the pet name, but nodded. "It was a wonderful day." Thinking about Trowa made it difficult to keep from grinning.

"Tell me of it in the morning. Good night, Miss Relena."

Thankful for the added height of her heels, she reached up and kissed his dry, papery cheek. "Sweet dreams, my friend."He took his leave, retreating to his quarters.

She mopped the floor with quick, efficient strokes and returned the tool to the supply closet before going to her own room.

She fell into bed, visions of emerald eyes and diamond lights dancing in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Wufei circled his opponent, scrutinizing every move she made. She eyed him warily in return and tried not to show her exhaustion. They had been sparring for nearly three hours. When she reached one hand up to wipe sweat out of her eyes, he ran forward. His right jab was blocked, but she was unprepared for the left hook that followed, almost leaning backward too late. A confident smirk graced his features as he gripped her shirt, intent on disabling the use of her arms.

Instead he found himself to be the involuntary participant of a tangle of limbs on the floor. He tugged to get his arm free. Relena sat up, panting for air. A victorious grin emerged as she looked down upon her instructor. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed with joy. "I _finally_ flipped you!" Her body rocked back and forth with laughter.

"Get up already," Wufei replied, shoving at her with his free arm. His other was still pinned under his back, trapped in place by her leg. "Honorable warriors refrain from gloating."

Relena placed her hands on his chest, using him to balance as she regained her footing. She offered him her hand once she was upright and he accepted without a second thought. "I'm going to get some water. Want some?"

He nodded and watched her stride across the room to her desk. Her progress was impressive. Nine months ago there was no chance in hell she could have landed a blow to him. Her agility and reflexes had greatly improved.

It was hard not to feel a little proud, even if she was the last person he had ever expected to take on as a student.

She returned with two bottles of water and offered him one. He twisted the cap off and drank down half the bottle in two gulps before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Relena lowered her body to the ground and stretched out. She leaned back on her elbows, crossing her legs at the ankle. It was obvious that she was as comfortable in her office as her home from the way she sprawled on the floor as though it were a chaise lounge.

"You spend a lot of time in here, don't you?" It was the first time he had asked her a personal question for the sake of making conversation. She hid a smile.

"Yeah. Work takes up a lot of my time." She hesitated before continuing, "The reason I enjoy these sessions with you so much – well, aside from the obvious benefits – is because I get to focus on something else entirely. It's very relaxing. I appreciate your willingness to teach me."

Wufei cleared his throat. "You were persuasive." He had been the last person to be approached by Relena during her search for lessons in self-defense. It had taken him by surprise.

/He had been in the garage of the Preventers headquarters in Geneva, doing routine maintenance on his motorcycle. She had stepped in, looking out of place in her violet, jersey-knit sundress. It was rare that she came to any of the Preventers locations scattered across the globe and colonies, rarer still for her to come when Heero or Lady Une were absent.

"Are you lost?" he asked when she began walking toward him.

"No. I wanted to ask a favor of you." She seemed to tower over his crouched position. He stood.

"What kind of a favor?" His tone was skeptical. They had hardly interacted except when necessary. What could she possibly need from him, of all people?

"It's been said that you are one of the most formidable fighters a person could face. I know that you're extremely busy with your work, but I was hoping that you could spare some time to teach me a few moves."

He barked out a short, surprised laugh. "Why don't you ask Yuy? I'm sure he would be more than happy to teach his favorite person some self-defense." He turned his back on her. "Find someone else, Minsiter."

She grabbed his arm and forcibly turned him to face her. "Heero has taught me how to shoot a gun well enough to seriously wound someone. He thinks that's enough. It isn't. I won't always have access to a gun or any other weapon and I am sick and tired of feeling like a helpless victim." Her ferocity was startling. He remained silent, unable to form an answer. She sighed. "You're my last hope, Wufei. My brother has refused to hear of his pacifist sister learning to hurt people, Heero finds it unnecessary and the only other person I'm in close proximity to on a regular basis that could teach me anything is you. Besides, it would be beneficial to everyone in the long run."

"And why is that?" He crossed his arms before his chest. She had a spark of life to her, that was for sure.

"It will make attempted kidnappings and assaults more difficult to pull off, thus making the jobs of everyone responsible for my welfare easier." His lack of response made her smile falter. "If I could even get an hour out of you, it would at least be a start. I'm sure it won't be hard to build off of a foundation."

After a slight hesitation, Wufei gave a curt nod. "Very well. If you can arrange it with Une for me to be scheduled for afternoon shifts here, we will begin your training at sixteen hundred hours every Friday."

Her face lit up like a kid in a candy shop. "Thank you so much, Wufei. You won't regret this."

"I don't pull my punches," he warned as she practically skipped through the door. /

Relena cleared her throat, bringing him back to the present. "I appreciate you agreeing to train in here today. Work was hectic earlier. There was no way I would have made it to the Preventers headquarters in time."

"It's fine." He glanced at her. "I heard from Trowa Barton today."

She raised a brow. "And why would you divulge such information to me?"

"Thought you might be interested to know that his circus is going to be making the rounds in the L2 colony cluster."

"Did you tell him that I would be there?" It was a silly question, but she couldn't help herself. It had been close to three weeks since their first encounter.

Wufei smirked. "No, but considering that your conference has been reported on most of the news channels, I would assume he knows." He looked away from her. "It isn't as though he has any say in where the circus travels to."

She sighed, running her fingers through her bangs. "I am aware of that." She bit her lip. "I just want to see him again."

He shook his head, rising to his full height. "It's a sure bet that he isn't allowing any thoughts to distract him from his work. Neither should you." A twinge of guilt ran through him when she forced a smile to her face to cover the disheartened look his words had caused . "You want to get a coffee or something?"

The surprise of his invitation successfully freed her from her brooding. "Sure! Just let me tell Heero."

"You do realize that not only are you an adult, but you are the Vice Foreign Minister, right?"

"I have been made aware of those facts before. Why?"

"I am just confused as to why you feel you have to report every move you make to him."

She rolled her eyes. "You know as well as I do that if I simply leave without telling him, then he will be absolutely livid when he finds out that I went out to get coffee instead of being kidnapped because he'll overreact and feel like an idiot." She shrugged. "I like to avoid drama whenever possible."

He smirked. "I'll bet he checks your homework and makes you eat your veggies, too."

She glared at him, snatching her purse from the back of a chair. "You're impossible. Let's go."

"I thought you had to ask permission before you could go out to play," he replied. Relena made an exasperated sound and stalked out the door. Wufei followed, chuckling to himself.

For once, Duo had been right. Harassing Relena about Heero was more entertaining than he had thought it could be.

…

The small space shuttle Relena and Heero currently occupied began to tremble violently as it made contact with the docking station on colony X249-6. The vibrations caused Heero's coffee to splash over the rim of the disposable plastic cup it called home, leading to dark brown rivulets being soaked up by Relena's notes.

"Just great," she mumbled as she tried to sop up the offending liquid with limited success. A cocktail napkin was hardly up to the task. "This is your fault," she informed Heero.

"I have no control over the actions of this shuttle."

"No, but you did have control over whether or not you would drink your coffee. It's been sitting there for almost thirty minutes and you didn't even so much as take one sip."

"I thought I wanted it at the time. Turns out I was wrong."

"Oh, _now_ you'll admit you were wrong about something?" Relena forced her shoulders to relax. "At least you didn't spill coffee on anything important."

"I did nothing to aid the spillage."

"You took the lid off."

Heero sighed. There was no winning this argument. He stood and slipped the strap of his messenger bag over his head. "You coming?"

"Yeah." She shoved her notes into her laptop case and followed him out to the space port.

They picked up their luggage and Relena headed for the restroom. Once inside, she locked herself in the handicapped stall and traded her pumps for a pair of flip-flops, her skirt and jacket for a pair of blue jean cutoffs that had seen better days and a tie-dyed paisley halter top that left her midriff bare. She stepped out of the stall and headed for the sinks so that she could don a black trilby hat and slip a pair of sunglasses in her pocket.

She stood on tiptoes as she searched for Heero, finally spotting him near the main entrance/exit. She hurried over, sidestepping a family of five milling about aimlessly. "Is this outfit satisfactory?" She twirled.

Heero eyed her choice in clothing with a slight grimace. "You look like a hippie."

She snapped her fingers in mock remembrance. "That's what I forgot: my patchouli oil."

"Your wit is failing you." He adjusted his backpack and headed out the door, blinked so his eyes could adjust to the glaring white construct of the colony. "Put your sunglasses on."

She sighed, but did as she was told. "I want to check into the hotel before we meet up with Duo and Hildie so that we aren't lugging this stuff around with us," she announced.

"Whatever you say."

Conversation was kept to a minimum as they navigated the crowded walkways of the colony. Normally Heero would insist that they ride in a Preventers-issued vehicle, but he had been pushing Relena to the edge with his recent precautions regarding their trip. Since their flight had been uneventful and the hotel was only a ten minute walk from the spaceport, he figured he should give the security routine a break and let Relena enjoy feeling like a normal person as long as she attempted to disguise her appearance.

The current silence was broken when Heero caught sight of the park located across the street from their hotel. "You conniving little brat," he seethed and glared at the colorful circus tent whose iridescent pennants seemed to beckon to him mockingly.

Relena flashed an innocent smile. "Whatever are you talking about, Heero dearest?"

"Either you chose this colony for the meeting because Trowa's circus is here or you ordered Trowa's circus troupe to be here because of your meeting." Completely irrational, but he felt she was to blame and didn't care how ridiculous his accusation was.

She laughed. "You know for a fact that I didn't choose the location of the conference, nor do I have the power to tell Trowa's circus where to go." She looped her arm through his and steered him through the revolving hotel door. "I think it would be a good idea if we caught a show since they're here. I'm sure Duo and Hildie would be delighted to join us."

Heero's frown remained unchanged despite the fact that her suggesting they invite Duo and Hildie along would successfully keep him out of Catherine's reach. He wasn't sure what upset him more: the possibility that she would somehow corner him again or the fact that part of him wouldn't mind. He shook his head, more than a little irritated by his inner conflict. "You know I'm not a fan of circuses."

Relena eyed him slyly. "You can't tell me that you're not curious to see what kind of trick they may have thought up now." She turned her attention to acquiring their room keys so that he could mull over the accuracy of her statement.

"Sometimes I think we know each other a little too well, Miss Dorlain,"he muttered. She held out his room key and winked. He snatched it from her with a scowl.

"That doesn't mean you'll ever stop intriguing me. Let's get rid of this stuff and enjoy the rest of the day. Tomorrow is going to be all business. You know how to get to Duo's, right?" She headed for the elevator, suitcase in tow.

"It's only eleven. Why are you in such a hurry to see that irresponsible excuse of a mechanic?"

"It's only fourteen hours until I have to be in bed. And would you stop calling him irresponsible? He didn't mean to start that fire in the garage. It was an accident." She punched the button for the twentieth floor and swayed from side to side as they ascended. "I wonder if the circus closes early because it's Sunday," she mused aloud.

Heero shrugged, his thoughts elsewhere. Perhaps he could convince Duo to skip the circus and head for a bar instead – or better yet, a shooting range. Not only would it keep him from the circus, but he it would give him an opportunity to teach that braided idiot a lesson for burning Relena's garage down. Relena could drag Hildie to the show for all he cared, just so long as he was no part of it. The only thing he would have to do is get in touch with Trowa to let him know that Relena would be there without him. He was certain that his comrade could handle keeping an eye on Relena when he wasn't performing and it was a sure bet that Relena would keep _her_ eye on Trowawhen he was. Besides, if Hildie went with her it wouldn't be as if she were there alone. Hildie could be quite formidable when she chose to be.

It wouldn't be an issue to have a few guards posted where she would be sitting, either.

"This is our floor," Relena announced when it became clear that Heero was lost in his own little world – a rare occurrence.

His eyes scanned the hallway before he exited the elevator. All clear. He glanced down at the room number printed on his key and turned left. Relena followed, more than a little curious as to what had been going through his mind on the ride up. She resolved to ask him later. Now she unlocked the door to her room, Heero entering behind her.

They surveyed the layout, which was a typical suite setup. A bathroom with a shower and a jacuzzi tub was to the right, across from a wide closet. The bedroom was dominated by a king-sized canopy bed, the rest of the space taken up by matching bedroom furniture. A large fruit basket had been set on top of the nightstand, accompanied by a note from the welcoming committee.

A door to the left led to a spacious room; half of the space was occupied by a kitchenette and breakfast nook, while the other half was furnished with two comfortable-looking sofas, an armchair, a coffee table and a wide-screen television. On the opposite wall, there was another door. It was locked from the other side.

"Looks like we'll be sharing a common room." Relena headed for the refrigerator. Aside from the door being filled with miniature bottles of alcohol, it was empty.

"I'm going to my room. Meet me here in ten minutes." Heero checked his watch briefly and left, not bothering to wait for acknowledgment.

Relena went back to the bedroom and closed the door. After she finished unpacking, she sat in an armchair and pulled out her PDA. She thumbed through her address book and clicked on Hildie's name. Seconds later, her friend's face filled the screen. "Hey there, lady."

"How goes it, Lena? You in town now?"

"Yes. We arrived at the hotel a few minutes ago. I need your help with something."

"Is that so?" Hildie raised a brow, a suggestive smile forming. "Would it have anything to do with a certain clown currently touring the colony?"

"That was an inappropriate amount of alliteration."

"You're blushing!"

"I am not." Relena held one hand to her cheek, determined to pretend her skin wasn't flushed. "You have to convince Duo to go to the circus with us after we get lunch. "

"I wasn't aware we were going to lunch," Hildie commented. Then, "Why do you need Duo to go to the circus? It shouldn't be difficult to convince him to join us."

"Heero..." Relena drifted off. She was unsure if she should tell Hildie about the incident with Catherine. She doubted Heero would want his private life to be gossiped about, which is what would happen if Hildie confessed to Duo. Which was likely. She cleared her throat and continued, "I think Heero wanted to check out the microbrewery that just opened up near the spaceport." She was thankful she had been paying attention to the local scenery.

"Hm, let me think a little." It was silent for all of two seconds. "We could do a bit of shopping and Duo could show off our new office expansion, then go to the brewery for lunch. I'm looking at their menu as we speak."

Relena opened the browser on her phone and quickly located the menu. "Seems like they have a decent assortment of food and beers. That should make Heero more inclined to go with me to a show."

"So...time for you to spill," Hildie announced. "Have you told Trowa that you want to have his babies yet?"

"Hildie!" Relena wished she could reach through the phone and smack her. "We hardly know each other. Aside from that, why would you jump to such a conclusion? All I told you was that I happened to find him attractive."

Hildie made a noncommittal noise. "If I didn't know you better, I would have sworn that you two had done the nasty from the look on your face when you talked about him."

Relena stared at the phone, unsure of how to respond. Then she shook her head. "You're exaggerating. Anyway, let's get back to reality. Would it be better for Heero and I to head for your house or the office?"

"Hmm. Lemme ask Duo real quick." Relena winced when Hildie shouted, "Duo! Should they come here or should we meet them at the office? I'm gonna put you on speakerphone."

Duo's heavy footsteps became louder as, presumably, he approached Hildie. "Lena on the phone right now?"

"Hey, Duo," Relena answered. "How have you been."

"Can't complain. How about you, princess?"

"Same. Heero's still pissed off about the garage so if he tries to kill you, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Information like that is always appreciated." Duo's face replaced Hildie's on the screen. "Why don't you two head for the office? We can meet you there. And then we should get food because I'm starving."

Relena laughed. "Sure. Oh, I guess you know that Trowa's circus is in town." Duo nodded. "If you can manage to get Heero to agree to sit through a show today, I will forgive half of your debt."

"Sounds like a deal. When will you two be heading out?"

"A few minutes. I'm waiting on Heero. See you guys soon." She hung up and head back to the shared room.

Heero was waiting for her when she stepped through the door. "What took you so long?"

"I was on the phone with Duo and Hildie. They want us to meet them at the office. Apparently Duo had an addition built and he's eager to show it off. After that, we were toying with the idea of checking out the new microbrewery. They serve lunch and I'm beginning to get hungry."

He studied her features carefully for several seconds. There was something she was neglecting to tell him. She had probably enlisted Duo's help in getting him to the circus. Like that would make a difference. "Let's be on our way then."

...

There was nothing remarkable about the addition to Duo's office except that it boasted a nice redwood deck (which is why Heero couldn't understand why they spent nearly an hour touring the damn place), nor was there anything particularly spectacular about the food or beverages to be found at the brewery, although Heero had to admit that the IPA was tastier than most. All in all, he concluded, this outing had been uneventful and almost boring – and now that Relena and Hildie had entered the shopping district, it wasn't about to get any better, and had, in fact, only gotten worse.

He supposed it was nice to be spending time with Duo and Hildie, as it had been several months since he had last seen them, but he had to admit that he felt slightly ill-used by Relena. Somehow she had come up with the crazy notion that he was a pack animal instead of a bodyguard and his arms were laden with bags. How much shopping could one young woman do?

Stupid question with a depressing answer: a lot.

Oh well. At least Relena's purchases weren't frivolous. But seriously. Two hours of shopping was more than excessive. It was all Hildie's fault.

Glancing over at his friend, who was trying to juggle boxes and bags, revealed that his comrade's thoughts were probably on par with his own. He caught Duo's eyes and mimed being hanged.

Duo snickered, but choked back his laughter when Hildie sent a suspicious look over her shoulder. He was slightly jealous of Heero's ability to maintain a straight face. "Are you ladies just about done here? I'm not sure how much we want to be lugging around."

Relena turned around to reply and caught sight of a long-legged, auburn- haired figure across the street. A grin stretched across her face and she raised her arm, waving. "Hey, Catherine! Over here!" She knew it was unladylike to shout across the street like that, but her excitement outweighed her sense of decorum.

Catherine stopped short, causing someone to almost run into her from behind, and apologized distractedly as she searched for the source of the call. She spotted the quartet seconds later and headed toward them, pausing as cars puttered by. "Relena, it's so good to see you again," she greeted once she reached her destination. She hugged the younger woman briefly before turning to Heero, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hello, Heero. It's been a long time since we last met."

"Not long enough," he muttered under his breath and Duo sent him a confused look. Relena gave his arm a subtle pinch – a reminder to mind his manners – and gestured to Duo and Hildie.

"Catherine, have you met Duo Maxwell and Hildie Schbeiker? They own the deep space salvaging company on this colony."

She tilted her head to one side as she studied the braided pilot. "You seem familiar to me. You're a friend of Trowa's right?"

"That's right. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He took her hand and bowed low, depositing a kiss on her fingers. Hildie rolled her eyes behind his back, causing Catherine to laugh. Duo straightened, poking Hildie's nose. "Don't mind this piece of work. She's just jealous that you're legs are ridiculously long and difficult to look away from, especially when encased in such flattering denim."

Catherine laughed again. "Trowa mentioned you were quite the charmer." She extended her hand to Hildie. "It's very nice to meet you." They shook and Hildie returned the sentiment. "I have to head back to the circus in a few minutes. I was scouting around for a restaurant that can accommodate a party of twenty-four. All of our performances are sold out for today and tomorrow, so the Ringmaster decided we deserve a treat."

"It's sold out?" Relena cried in disappointment. Beside her, Heero was unable to keep a small, victorious smile from his face.

"You don't need a ticket to see the show, silly girl." Catherine checked her watch. "Our last show is at four-thirty, which is about forty-five minutes from now. If you don't have plans, you should check it out and then you can join us for dinner...if we can find someplace to go."

"What kind of food are you in the mood for?" Hildie asked, going through her mental list of restaurants.

"I don't think it really matters, as long as there are some vegetarian selections. Two of our tightrope walkers have turned their backs to the eating of meat."

"Hm. Thinking." Hildie tapped her chin lightly. "Duo, what's the name of that place with the really good spicy black bean burgers?" At his blank look she added, "You ordered the fish and chips and said it was the most delicious fish and chips you'd ever eaten. How could you forget something like that? You raved about it for a week."

"Oh, right. It's called Conglomeration. They serve all styles of food. Something for everybody. The kicker is that it's even shaped like a rounded mass of junk that got smushed together." He shrugged. "They really were the best fish and chips ever. It's located on the corner of Highland and Rosewood." He glanced around their informal circle. "So, sound like a plan? We'll check out your show and then your troupe can follow us to the restaurant. We can call ahead to get seating. The joint is huge, so it shouldn't be an issue. Do you guys sit at one big table or a bunch of smaller ones?"

"We normally break off into small groups," Catherine replied and beamed. "This is going to be so much fun. I'm sure Trowa will be pleasantly surprised to see you." Though she was addressing everyone, her eyes strayed to Relena, who tried not to read too much into it. Before Heero could so much as utter a syllable resembling a protest, Catherine excused herself , lightly brushing against him as she left, and Hildie whipped out her phone to make a reservation.

This day was not going at all like he thought it would.


	3. Chapter 3

_Note: I appreciate the positive, supportive reviews. Thanks for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy._

Relena studied her reflection with a critical eye. She had been trying to convince herself for a quarter of an hour that her appearance shouldn't matter that much. She had never been one to get flustered over what outfit to wear and it was unnerving that her brain decided it cared now.

She turned to one side, then the other. Screw it, this was good enough. She had decided that she liked the bared midriff look and had bought a pale blue off-the-shoulder top that sported a black halter strap and a black lace border on top and bottom. The length stopped an inch or so above her belly button. She had traded the raggedy cutoffs for a pair of beige corduroy shorts that stopped just above mid-thigh. They were shorter than anything she had ever worn, except a t-shirt to bed, but Hildie had reassured her that it was a common length. Her hat and flip-flops remained.

She exited her room and took a few short steps down the hallway to Heero's door. She knocked and he emerged seconds later, a deep scowl on his face.

"Cheer up, buttercup." Relena used her fingers to force his lips into a smile. "You know, if you hold a pencil between your teeth for a few minutes every day it forces your facial muscles to flex as though you're smiling, which releases happy chemicals in your brain, and after a month or so you'll start smiling and being in a good mood naturally."

"Fascinating. Find someone else to be your guinea pig."

She pouted. "Would you just pretend like going out isn't the equivalent of self-destructing?"

"It wouldn't be an issue if I didn't have to see Catherine." He glared at her as they headed for the elevator. "Speaking of which, you didn't blab to Hildie about it, did you? The last thing I need is Duo making fun of me all night. I might end up killing him."

"I'm hurt that you think I would tell anyone your personal business." She extracted a piece of chewing gum from the pack in her purse, offered it to him. He accepted and she took another for herself. "You shouldn't let her get to you like this. It makes you rather boorish."

He snapped his gum, knowing it would drive her crazy. "I don't understand what you have to gain from forcing me to be in her presence. I've told you numerous times that I'm not interested."

"You are such a liar." Relena pulled the door to the stairwell open, began her descent. The smacking sound of her flip-flops against the concrete steps echoed loudly. Heero shouldered his way past her to take the lead. "She's the first woman to get any kind of reaction out of you since Sylvia."

His back stiffened. "Shut up already."

"All I'm trying to get across is that for the past four years you haven't paid the slightest bit of attention to any female that throws herself at you and all of a sudden you're flustered over Trowa's older sister." Relena's eyes widened. "That's it, isn't it?"

"What are you babbling on about now? I thought I told you to shut up," Heero growled, trying without much luck to intimidate her.

"Are you being so resistant because of the relationship with Trowa?"

Heero almost swallowed his gum. "Whose relationship?"

"Yours. Hers. Both. Either. Take your pick."

Five floors later, he still had yet to reply. He was too busy sorting information. On the one hand, it had been several years since his last date and Catherine was the most interesting person to catch his attention in just as long. She was talented with her knives, passionate about her beliefs and unafraid of challenges. He had even enjoyed their brief conversation before she had attacked him.

On the other hand, Trowa was just as protective of his sister as Heero was of Relena – in different ways, obviously – and he had no clue as to how Trowa would react if anything did happen between them. Trowa had saved his ass more than once – literally and figuratively – and had earned Heero's respect early on in their acquaintance.

Perhaps the most important factor in this decision-making process was that he genuinely liked Trowa and he didn't want to risk that friendship on chance. There were too many what-ifs involved and Heero hated playing that game.

Damn it. Maybe there was some truth to what the annoying creature following him had said.

Relena cleared her throat and Heero glared at the stairs before him. She could never leave well enough alone. It was so irritating, so frustrating! But he could beat this.

Clenching his jaw, he resolved to stop dwelling on the issue and try to, just this once, go with the flow. Whatever the evening threw his way, he would take it all in stride. He looked over his shoulder. "I would appreciate it if we could end this conversation for the night. Duo and Hildie are meeting us in the hotel lobby, yes?"

"No. Hildie sent me a text message to let us know that Duo was dragging her to the game tents and that Catherine already gave them special passes for all of us. They'll meet us in front of the big top ten minutes before the show." Relena handed Heero her PDA so that he could verify. They took the last several flights of stairs at a quickened pace, finally emerging in the service hallway that led to the lobby.

"How long have they been there?"

"Well, she sent the text about twenty minutes ago, so I would assume they've been there at least that long."

They pushed their ways through the revolving lobby door and waited for traffic to let up before crossing, Heero snapping his gum to annoy Relena because she refused to let him jaywalk. He had a tendency of just walking out in the road, (perhaps overly) confident that drivers would stop for him. Relena, however, was more practical and liked to wait for the crosswalk signal. Only once had he gotten her to try it his way and she had felt like she was going into cardiac arrest, especially when one car failed to brake and instead swerved to avoid them, narrowly avoiding a collision with a car in the next lane.

They jogged across and began a brisk walk through the park to the large field where the circus had set up residence. Hordes of people milled about, laughing, eating, drinking, and generally having a good time. Relena spotted the game tents one hundred yards from the big top, a small semi-circle of kiosk-sized structures. She craned her neck to get a better view in the hopes that she might catch a glimpse of Duo or Hildie. No luck.

Heero took her hand to keep from losing her in the stream of people exiting the big top. There were more attendees than he had guessed. It put him on high alert and he cursed himself for not calling in a small guard detail as he had the first time. Perhaps he would feel less paranoid once Duo joined them. Two were generally better than one and Duo was easily the equivalent of four guards, in all respects except being able to be in several places at once.

He glanced at his watch, tightening his grip when he felt Relena trying to pull away. "Two minutes until they're supposed to meet up with us. Once these people thin out we should try to stand as close to the entrance as we can. Why are you squirming so much?"

"Trowa's over there. I wanted to say hello." She pointed in the direction of the concession tent. Heero saw a tall man garbed in a bright purple vest and shiny gold pants that seemed to balloon outward. He held a rainbow wig in one hand.

He hesitated. The concession tent was less than fifteen yards away. He scanned the immediate vicinity. Nothing looked out of place. He released her. "Hurry up. Straight there and back. I'll stay here and wait for the others."

"Thank you." Overcome with anticipation, she reached up on her toes and kissed Heero on the cheek. He pushed her away, trying to fight a smirk.

"Get going."

She wended her way through the crowd, called out a greeting when she was less than five feet away. "Hello, Trowa!" She stumbled when she saw that he was talking to an attractive brunette dressed in an aqua bedlah-styled costume. She was tall, much taller than Relena.

The man she had addressed turned to face her and for several seconds he wore a look of pure surprise. His eyes widened, lips parted slightly. "Relena." He almost asked what she was doing there, but gave himself a mental shake. "Hello." He gestured to his companion. "This is Misty. She's one of our Spanish Web spinners. Misty, this is Vice Minister Relena Dorlain."

Misty smiled and offered her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Minister Dorlain."

Relena remembered Misty's routine, how stunned she had been that someone could manipulate a piece of rope in such a way. The Web spinners were quite good at their profession. "I saw you perform once before. It was amazing," she said as she returned the gesture. She smiled and toyed with the hem of her shorts once her hand was released. Silence reigned their small group. She caught Trowa's eye, but his look was indiscernible.

Misty studied them for a second before pushing away from the tree she had been leaning against. "Well, the show's going to start in a few minutes and I'm one of the first acts, so I need to do some last minute rehearsing. See you inside, Trowa." She squeezed his arm and smiled up at him as she passed.

It was silent for another thirty seconds before Relena asked, "Did Catherine mention that she ran into us earlier today? She told us that the show was sold out, but gave us special passes."

"No. We haven't had a chance to talk about anything other than our routine since before she went to run errands."

"Oh. Has it been very busy today?"

"Yes. The second day of the circus being in town is always our most attended." Since she wasn't looking at him, he took the opportunity to study her appearance. Her choice in clothing was much different from anything he had ever seen her in. He especially liked her hat. "Do you always dress half-naked on your days off?"

Relena smiled and bit her lip to keep from laughing, shaking her head slightly. He was getting her back for last time. She was surprised he remembered. "Alas, today is a rare exception. Heero is letting me go around without security guards as long as I make a decent attempt at disguising my appearance." She gestured to his own outfit. "I'd love to know your opinion on my choice because it's obvious that you are a fashion aficionado. Where do you buy your pants? I _have _to have a pair."

Trowa allowed a smile to play on his mouth. He enjoyed her sarcasm; he could almost admit that he had missed it a little bit. "I do seem to attract women in this outfit," he reflected. "It seems that your half-nakedness scared her off though."

"I'm terribly sorry if I've just cost you a date. Next time, I will call ahead to make sure I get your approval on my wardrobe so that if I accidentally decide to say hello to you, I won't scare anyone off. Fair enough?" Her smile had slipped, but she managed to keep a wry smirk in place. She shouldn't be surprised that he would be interested in other women. He hadn't done anything to indicate that he was attracted to her in "that" way.

He raised a brow, his face solemn. "You can dress half-naked around me whenever you please, even if it does scare others away."

The fact that he was complimenting and teasing her all at once her took a few seconds to process. She fought a blush and said the first thing that came to mind. "I wanted to see you sooner." It was too late to put some thought into her words, and they were true, so she didn't bother trying to backpedal. In any case, his reaction might shed some light onto the subjects of how he felt about her and/or where she stood.

His lips curved slightly. "A visit from you would have been welcomed." He hesitated too long before speaking again. Heero's voice cut through the noise, calling Relena to join them so that they could get good seats. "Duo and Hildie are here as well?"

"Yes. I guess I better go." She glanced up at his face, offered a small smile. "See you after the show?" He nodded. "Oh, I still want to know the answer," she added and walked away without looking back.

Trowa watched her leave, then followed the same route Misty had taken so that he could finish getting ready. He was still a little surprised that she was here. He knew that the conference was a two-day event starting tomorrow afternoon, so he had assumed that she would arrive tomorrow morning. Was it possible that she had learned that his troupe would be here and had consequently come to the colony a day early to see him?

No, that would be ridiculous. They had probably come to visit with Duo and Hildie.

Unless Wufei had said something...

He shook his head and sat on a vacant stool in front of a long table holding mirrors and lights. He forced his mind away from any thoughts that didn't involve the upcoming performance. A moment later, Catherine dropped onto the stool nearest him. "I've got a good feeling about tonight," she announced.

"Would it have anything to do with the fact that you ran into Heero and Relena while you were out and invited them to come for the show?" he inquired.

She frowned. "How do you know that? It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Why would you want it to be a surprise?"

Catherine shrugged, maintaining an innocent air. "We've been working so hard lately that I thought you'd enjoy a surprise visit from Relena." She hurriedly added, "And Heero." She nudged him in the ribs. "Who did you talk to?"

"Relena. She met Misty." Trowa avoided his sister's unabashedly scrutinizing eyes.

"So I take it her interruption was perfect timing?" A teasing note had crept into her voice and Trowa wracked his brain for a way to derail her.

"There was nothing to interrupt." His expression warded off her next sentence.

"Do you want me to help you with your wig?" she asked instead and before he could answer she had begun the task of forcing his hair into a net.

Her final adjustments preceded the introduction of the clown act by seconds. "Knock 'em dead, hon," she encouraged with a little push. He donned his half-mask and breathed deeply.

He trotted out to the center of the arena, joining the other clowns. He scanned the audience and quickly located the quartet he was searching for. Duo and Heero looked to be arguing, but Hildie and Relena were sitting with their heads close together, large grins on their faces.

The routine began and he dedicated himself to his practiced steps. One clown began juggling balls. A second started juggling daggers. A third used taper candles. A fourth employed bananas. Finally, Trowa began the movements with flaming lighters. At first, it seemed that they walked about aimlessly, continuously juggling; occasionally they would narrowly miss bumping into one another. The clown with the daggers started juggling with the clown that had bananas. At each toss, one of the bananas somehow became unpeeled. Once each banana was essentially naked, small slices started to disappear into the mouth of the dagger clown.

"Maybe we should try something," the candle clown yelled to Trowa.

"Agreed," he replied and they situated themselves so that their throwing line bisected the line of the banana-dagger clowns. With proper timing, Trowa and the candle clown began to toss objects back and forth to one another. Eventually, and with the same somehow as the bananas, the candles became lit.

The last clown, still juggling those shiny red balls, suddenly yelled, "I'm feeling left out!" He squeezed himself into their formation and everyone shifted until they stood in a circle. After that, it was difficult to tell who was throwing what to whom. The air was filled with flying objects. Not a single clown missed a beat, nor did anything hit the ground.

The audience was going wild, their cheers drowning out the whimsical music that accompanied the act. The clowns eventually sorted out what belonged to whom and reverted to juggling by themselves. In the end, they took bows and upon straightening had pies smashed into their faces by five other clowns that had crept out unnoticed by the original five. Shrill laughter belonging to children erupted in the stands.

Thus, the infamous food fight began.

While dodging a large, red tomato, Trowa chanced a look at the stands. Relena and Duo were laughing hysterically, while Hildie appeared to be of a similar mind with Heero; they watched with twin looks of vague confusion and disgust. He almost smiled, but then he got pelted with a water balloon filled with pudding.

The rest of the performance went by in a blur and he made a quick exit so that he could clean up. The next act belonged to the Web spinners, and then he would go on with Catherine. He headed for Catherine's trailer so that he could get cleaned up. When she had completed her training with Master Johan, she had dipped into her savings to buy a deluxe modern caravan that boasted a small bathroom with running water. It would be less crowded than the pavilion bathrooms the park was letting them rent for personal use.

He knocked and she opened the door almost immediately, her daggers in hand. "The juggling bit went really well," she complimented.

"The practice paid off."

She gestured for him to go in the bathroom. "I'm going back to the big top. Lock up when you leave, okay? You have eight minutes."

…

"That's her," Relena said to Hildie, her voice little more than a whisper. She ignored the curious looks Duo and Heero sent their way. Today was her day off and she was going to get in whatever girl time she could. "In the aqua."

Hildie slouched so that her neck could rest on the back of the seat as she looked up where the spinners dangled. "She's definitely pretty. What are you going to do?"

Relena frowned and glanced at her friend. "What do you mean?"

"Are you going to confront her, or lay claim to Trowa, or maybe confront Trowa about her?"

"Why would I do something like that? For one thing, it isn't like Trowa is an object that I can 'lay claim to' as you put it. For another, I don't know what the situation is. He would have introduced her as his girlfriend, wouldn't he?" She sighed in exasperation and glanced at Hildie again. "I mean, what would you do?"

"Trowa is a gorgeous example of the male species. He won't be on the market forever. I'd go in for the kill."

"What is with your analogies? He's a _person_, not a chocolate bar."

"He'd probably be delicious with chocolate."

Relena choked on the soda she was drinking and broke into a coughing fit. Hildie slapped her on the back several times, laughing hysterically. The people seated in front of them turned around to glare at her and she gave a helpless shrug. They faced forward once more, grumbling about rowdy kids.

"Sorry, Lena. I couldn't resist." She quieted down after a few seconds.

"I guess I forgive you," Relena replied when she could speak again. The Web spinners finished their routine and the two young women clapped dutifully despite missing most of the performance. "Is Misty prettier than me?"

"Her name is _Misty_?" Hildie snickered. "I can't compare the two of you. Your looks are completely different. You're each pretty in your own way, ya know? Can't compare apples and oranges."

"Guess you're right. Sorry I asked. Meh, I'm becoming more and more petty, aren't I? I need to get over this."

Hildie patted her shoulder. "You'll live." The overhead lights began to dim; colorful spotlights shone instead and the bass drums thundered. "What is going on?"

"Catherine and Trowa's routine is about to begin." Relena pointed to the clowns that had begun to drag out a conical metal frame that supported eight large wooden paddles, each painted a different color. It looked like an odd windmill . "What do you suppose that's for?"

"Maybe that's what she's aiming to hit."

"Well, how is Trowa supposed to be a target if the paddles are twelve feet off the ground?"

"I dunno." Conversation became impossible when the knife thrower and her target entered the arena. Hildie wolf-whistled when she caught sight of their wardrobe. This time around Catherine wore a sequined silver bikini top and a full-length silver sarong with a sequin-embellished hem tied low on her waist. Trowa was clad in loose black pants, his half-mask in place. Once again, he lacked a shirt.

A climbing harness was lowered before Trowa and he strapped it on, adjusting the straps as needed. One of the clowns checked to see that everything was snug and secure before tugging sharply on the rope attached. Seconds later, Trowa was hoisted into the air, stopping when he came even with the weird windmill.

The silken rope used for the Spanish Web dropped through the air to dangle before Catherine. She secured one foot and one hand, then gestured for her attending clown to hand her the knives. She held them in her free hand, tugged on the rope with the other. In the blink of an eye she was swaying gently in the air, facing her target.

The wooden paddles began to turn at an almost lazy pace. The bass drums ceased, but instead of silence, an odd style of music began to play – one that confused Relena's brain. The colored spotlights began to change color rapidly until the music paused. When the music started again, the light stayed bright green. Catherine took aim and hit the green paddle.

After each knife was thrown, the colored light changed and the rotation of the wooden paddles increased in speed. Catherine struck a different pose before releasing each knife. Trowa swayed like a pendulum, faster and faster. As if by a miracle, she avoided Trowa and landed every knife in the center of the wooden paddles.

In the end, she spun her way to the ground and cut the rope that kept her brother suspended. He executed a neat set of back flips and somersaults, coming to land on his feet beside her. The enthusiastic cheers and applause drowned out all other sounds once more. "Wow, wow, wow!" Hildie shouted in Relena's ear. "They're better than I expected." She turned to Duo for his opinion, leaning in close.

Relena had lucked out and taken a seat behind a small child, so there was no one to block her view of the performers lining up for a final bow. Two minutes later the stands were beginning to empty. Three minutes after that, the bleachers were empty except for their party. She stood and stretched, eying her companions. "When do you guys want to head down there?"

Heero pushed himself up and surveyed the remaining troupe members milling about, a look of unease playing across his face. "If we absolutely have to, might as well be now," he grumbled. His plan of going with the flow had vanished when Catherine and Trowa had come out. Relena allowed Duo and Hildie to walk ahead of her so that she could be with Heero.

"It's going to be fun. I'll protect you from her, if you want," she offered and laughed at the scornful expression he wore.

"What were you whispering to Hildie about?" he inquired to turn the attention away from his discomfort. He sometimes missed the good ol' days when he didn't give a rat's ass about anything except his missions.

Relena grimaced. "It's complicated."

"We can walk as slowly as we want. You've been acting strange since you went to say hello to Trowa. If you're going to pester me about every little change in my behavior, I'm going to do the same to you."

"Great," she grumbled. "I don't think now is the appropriate time to go into it considering we are about to be among the people I would be discussing. Can you wait for my confession until we are safely in our common room at the hotel?"

Heero glanced at her. "My patience knows no bounds. Serves you right for trapping us in a situation of your own device."

"What serves me right?" she demanded as they crossed the boundary wall.

"Being miserable."He put a hand on her shoulder, steered her in the direction of Duo, Hildie, Trowa and Catherine.

She gave him an icy stare. "You can be such a jackass."

"That was a pretty scary look there. What did Heero do now?" Duo teased when they were within hearing range.

"Nothing of interest to anyone except me," she replied and faced Catherine and Trowa, grinning. "Your performance was amazing, as expected."

"Thank you. We had a bit of an imagination block," Catherine admitted. "That routine is a standby. I want to say we've executed it...hm. Maybe four times in the past three years?" She looked up at Trowa. "Is that about right?"

"Close enough." He acknowledged each of their visitors with a nod. "It's good to see you all again. It has been a while."

"You can say that again, my man," Duo agreed. He rubbed his stomach. "I know I ate an elephant ear and some cotton candy, but I'm starving. When is everyone gonna be ready to head out?"

Trowa raised a brow and glanced at Catherine. "Head out where?"

"Damn. I'm sorry I forgot to mention it before, but I invited them to go to dinner with us since the Ringmaster was going to take us out. They found a restaurant and made the reservations. I already cleared it with the Ringmaster," she replied. "It'll take about fifteen minutes for everyone to get out of costume. Speaking of which, Trowa and I should get to it."

"Where should we meet you?" Heero questioned.

"Everyone was planning on gathering at the park entrance," Trowa said. "Where are we going?"

"Conglomeration," Relena spoke up. "It came highly recommended by Duo and Hildie."

"What kind of food?"

Catherine nudged her brother in the ribs. "Hey, ask questions on the way there. We've gotta get changed _now_." She dragged him off, calling over her shoulder, "See you in a few!"

"Shall we wait?" Hildie asked when they were out of view.

"Indeed," Duo replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Trowa had just pushed open the door to his caravan when Misty strolled up. She rested both hands on the stairway railing and smiled at him. "What are you going to change for? You already look fantastic."

His expression remained blank as he struggled to form some kind of response. "Oh," was the best he could come up with. He turned his attention back to his previous goal, began to pass through the door when she cleared her throat. He suppressed a sigh and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Is there something you need?"

She looked taken aback, shook her head. "No."

"I'm going in now." Once again, he started for the door.

"Wait! Um, will you be joining us for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to sit with my group?"

"I have already dedicated myself to another table."

"Oh? Maybe I could sit with you then?"

Trowa shrugged, desperate for a way out without seeming overly rude. He _did_ have to work with her, after all. For the first time in his life, he used one of his friends for a selfish purpose. "You will have to clear it with the head of the Vice Minister's security detail. She, and her party, will be joining us this evening."

"Maybe I'll do that," she said. He offered no reply, made his escape.

Once inside, he locked the door and leaned against it, shaking his head. He had his suspicions as to why Misty had suddenly taken an interest in him a week ago (word of her jealousy-fueled breakup with her boyfriend had spread like wildfire and it wouldn't be surprising if she were seeking a rebound and/or a way to make her ex jealous); regardless of the reason, he wanted nothing to do with her outside of a professional capacity. It was never a good idea, in his opinion, to date coworkers.

He stripped down and searched out a pair of khaki pants and a button-down work shirt, rolling the sleeves to his elbows. He removed his mask, placing it with care on the small table. He grabbed his wallet and keys from his bed and glanced out a window to see if Misty was still lingering. She wasn't. A vibrating noise sounded from the bed and he turned to see that he had forgotten his phone, not an uncommon event considering it liked to hide among his pillows.

Upon flipping the phone open, a text message appeared on the screen. He scanned it quickly and laughed aloud. It was from Heero and read as follows:

_Some mentally distressed female appeared and demanded to sit at our table. I told her to fuck off in politer terms. That all right with you?_

Trowa replied with a short _yes_ and left the comforts of his caravan, glad that his gamble had paid off; he had only been ninety-five percent certain that Heero would turn her away. He stopped briefly at Catherine's trailer to collect her and the siblings headed for the convening point.

"Okay, what's so funny?" the knife thrower finally asked as they passed the animal tents.

"What?"

"The only time you get that little smirk on your face is when you're laughing at someone or something on the inside."

"Misty asked if she could sit at our table. I told her she had to clear it with Heero because of security."

Catherine's eyes widened. "You didn't! What happened?"

He handed her his phone, the text message open and waiting to be read. She clapped a hand over her mouth to try to muffle her giggles. "The two of you are _so_ bad!"

"It's not like he pulled a gun on her." The thought was funny, but he fought back his laughter lest Catherine pester him to death about what was so amusing _now_.

"What are you going to do about her?"

He glanced at her, keeping his features blank. "There isn't anything to be done."

"It's obvious that her attention is bothering you. Why don't you tell her to take a hike or something?"

"In a few days, she'll get it through her skull that I'm not interested."

"And what happens if, for some reason, she doesn't take a hint?"

Trowa narrowed his eyes at his big sister. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"It's more intuition than fact." Catherine fell silent as they came within a dozen feet of their friends and most of the circus troupe. "We'll talk more later, yes?" He nodded and pushed the issue from his mind.

"I guess not everyone is going to dinner?" Duo asked. To clarify, he pointed in the direction of the big top. Eight or nine people looked to be cleaning up.

"We usually ask for volunteers to stay behind to care for the animals and do general clean-up when we go out like this," Catherine explained. "When no one volunteers, we use a random number generator to draw straws, so to speak. The people with the lowest numbers stay behind, then their names are put on a list so that they're exempt from cleaning duties for the next night out." She scanned the crowd, found Misty pouting in her direction and looked away quickly to avoid eye contact.

The Ringmaster walked up to his star performers and asked if they were ready to lead the way to food. Trowa made an affirmation and they departed for Conglomeration. Duo and Hildie led the way, followed by Heero and Relena, with Trowa and Catherine taking the rear. The rest of the troupe followed after.

As they waited at a crosswalk, Hildie grinned wickedly. During the quick stroll across the street, the lovely mechanic caused a jostled, confusing jam and when it was sorted out, Trowa and Heero had been forced to trade places. Hildie glanced over her shoulder to survey her work, laughing to herself and telling Duo to mind his own business when he questioned what was so funny. It was a silly, immature maneuver and it had been great fun.

"I'm glad you finally stopped pestering me," Relena announced and glanced to her left to find the former pilot of Heavyarms instead of the former pilot of Wing. She blushed, turning her gaze forward. "Er, sorry. That was meant for Heero's ears."

"It's fine," Trowa replied. He gestured to Hildie's grinning face. "I think we were set up."

"She wouldn't," the Vice Minister protested, but instantly realized that it wasn't at all true. She _would _ because that was the kind of person she was. "Oh well, it's beneficial in a way." She glanced up at her companion. "At least I know that you won't bother me over something trivial."

"Likewise. I hope." He smirked when she glared at him.

"I take it Catherine was plaguing you about something as well?" she asked after dropping the glare.

"Yes."

Relena clasped her hands behind her back, toyed with the ends of her hair. "I know Heero's intentions are good, but he can be as bad as Hildie at times. Not in the same way, of course. Just the same level of stubbornness."

Trowa thought about his sister for a few seconds. Finally he said, "Catherine knows when to back off and she usually has some insight to share, but prying into private business is irritating no matter who is doing it." He coughed quietly before commenting, "I'm glad Heero didn't ban you from the circus because of your first/last visit."

"Me too," she agreed. "This time was fun as well, but..." She drifted off. "Never mind."

"Speak your mind."

"I don't know if I can explain it properly and if I can, I don't want you thinking I'm a crazy teenage girl in disguise." She pursed her lips as she thought about the appropriate words to use, grateful that he didn't press her to speak again. "We spent almost two hours alone and it was the most wonderful time I've had in quite a while. It was nice to have a conversation with someone that didn't involve any topics related to my job or politics in general."

Relena paused, licked her lips. "I felt like I could be myself around you and that's a big deal for me. There aren't many people like that in my life. I guess what I'm trying to get across is that I crave more of that time with you. It's silly. We hardly know each other. And yet...I'm sad because this visit won't be like the last. This time in the restaurant and the walk back will be all the time I have with you and I have to be the Vice Minister of Interplanetary Affairs instead of an average person."

He glanced down at her, studied her profile as she avoided eye contact. She was blushing. "You are welcome to stay when we get back."

She shook her head. "I promised Heero that I would discuss something with him – something that I don't wish to speak of in public."

Trowa suddenly remembered his own promise to Catherine. "Thank you for reminding me that I have a similar engagement."

"Oh, do you?" Relena's eyes finally met his and they sparkled with curiosity. "I wonder how closely related your topic is to mine."

He shook his head. "I refuse to tell you flat out."

She raised a brow. "Could you give me a hint? It doesn't have to be a giveaway, but it shouldn't be ridiculously obscure."

He considered, consented with caution. "I suppose that I would be willing to part with one word that would fall within a level just above ridiculously obscure."

"That's decent of you," Relena replied with a sprinkling of sarcasm.

"In return," he continued, "you have to part with one word as well, meeting the same requirements as I."

She agreed and set about choosing her one word. "Pother."

Trowa nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Miasma."

"Looks like I'll be hitting up the dictionary tonight." She laughed because it was true.

"Same here." They entered Conglomeration and followed Hildie and Duo following the hostess to one of three large party rooms, with large heavy curtains to provide some semblance of privacy. There were six chairs to a table, five tables in all. When the hostess moved aside to allow the large group to enter Heero headed for one of two tables situated near a corner. He sat with his back to the wall, indicated Relena should sit to one side of him, grabbed Duo and literally forced him to sit on the other side – effectively blocking him from Catherine. Their conversation on the way over had been awkward, with her trying to find a neutral topic of conversation and him stonewalling her at every turn.

It wasn't _his_ fault she kept asking questions that he wasn't going to answer.

Anyway, he wanted some distance from her. He leaned close to Relena and whispered, "You stay by my side on the walk home, or I am going to leave Preventers and you will have to find a new bodyguard."

"That's a bit drastic," she replied, curiosity lighting her eyes. "Was the walk over here really that terrible?"

"I do not wish to repeat the experience."

"Right. Looks like you'll be doing some confessing later tonight as well."

Hildie sat beside Duo and flipped open her menu, but looked up when she realized that Catherine and Trowa had yet to sit, apparently deciding who would sit next to Relena and who would sit next to her. Why it should be a difficult decision was lost on her. She patted the vacant seat nearest hers and smiled at the knife thrower. "Take a load off. I want to hear more about the training you had to go through to become a master of an impalement art." She waited until the woman was seated to add in a quieter voice, "Among other things," inclining her head toward Relena and Trowa. Catherine sent her a bewildered look, but began explaining how one learns to master an impalement art.

Duo overheard and saw the last little tidbit of that invitation, also noting Catherine's confusion, and glanced in the same direction, frowning slightly. What was she going on about now? He nudged Heero. "Hey, is there something going on that I don't know about?"

Heero's countenance remained calm, but his brain fought with two seconds' worth of panic. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Pilot 02 knew Heero well enough to know when he was feigning ignorance. "Obviously you do. Hildie has been keeping a close eye on Relena for some reason and if she knows something and you know, I should know too."

The man accused of knowing something Duo didn't relaxed. He refused to give up Relena's "secret crush" without her permission, however. "I don't know anything about _that _information, if there is any. I assumed you were referring to something Preventers-related."

Duo sighed and ordered a drink from the waitress, turning his attention to the menu. After resolving to try the chicken quesadilla pizza roll, he studied the pair before him, but saw nothing to enlighten him. He tried listening in on Hildie's conversation, but she had faced away from him completely. He glanced over at Heero.

"So how have things been at Preventers lately? Is Wufei still working there?"

"I have two new people in my section. I've delegated the task of training to my most capable person, but the review and tests will be handled by me. We'll begin a new mission within a month and I need them ready." He ordered a beer before asking, "When's the last time you talked to Wufei?"

Duo shrugged. "We send messages to each other occasionally, but I haven't _talked_ to him in about seven months."

"Ah. He told you about his request to be transferred to the Space Crime unit eight months ago?"

"Yeah."

"Five weeks ago, Sally became head of the Medical Forensics department, which is a subset of Space Crime."

"No kidding. Congratulations to her. She'd been working her ass off last I talked to her."

Heero nodded. "I think he's more excited about getting to work with her again than he's letting on."

"I wouldn't be as conservative about my feelings, that's for sure. After six years, you start to really know who you're depending on. Being separated on such short-notice and not even getting to see one another in three years? That's a bitch," Duo said.

Heero nodded, remaining silent. Relena had been a a large part of why Sally had been promoted, but she had asked the three people involved to keep it quiet. The young doctor had proven herself to be capable, efficient and dedicated over the years. She had earned every right to become the new head. The only reason Relena had asserted her power was because the board had been prepared to offer the position to another candidate that was less qualified, all because his parents had made a sizable donation to the department and the board members wanted to keep that relationship in good standing, even if it meant giving up one the most competent people they were likely to get. The incident depressed her somewhat; to think that humans had survived and adapted for so long without overcoming basic backward notions.

After another quiet moment he said, "I don't know if Relena told you, but Wufei took her on as a student." He gestured to the Vice Minister. "I haven't actually seen her use anything he's taught her, but I have his assurance that she would put up a decent fight against you."

"That so?" Duo raised his eyebrows and looked at Relena in a new light. "I wonder why she didn't mention it to us."

"Probably didn't think to. You know she hates talking about herself."

"Fair enough." He cracked his knuckles. "I wonder if I should ask her to spar with me."

"Absolutely not. I hope they cook quickly. I'm hungry," he announced, startling the others out of their conversations.

Relena asked, "What did everyone order anyway? Everyone seemed absorbed in conversation, so I didn't want to interrupt."

Heero answered first. "Steamed tilapia over cellophane noodles and vegetables with white miso broth." Duo shared his. Hildie had ordered the spicy black bean burger. Catherine confessed to tacos al carbon and Trowa revealed a craving for crab cakes.

"Any particular reason you wanted to know?" Duo asked.

"I always wonder if anyone ordered the same as me, but no one did."

"What did you order?"

"Marinated beef tongue." Ignoring the consequent tongue jokes, she glanced about the room and caught Misty looking in their direction, a vaguely disproving look on her face. When conversation had turned to which of their acquaintances could eat more, beginning a four-way argument, Relena knocked her knee against Trowa's leg to get his attention discreetly.

His puzzled eyes met hers and she gave a subtle incline of her head toward Misty's table. "Misty has been glancing at you since we sat down and she looks kind of put out. I feel like I've offended her twice today what with interrupting your conversation and Heero refusing to let her sit with us for some ridiculous reason." She kept her voice low, mentally braced herself before continuing, "I'm sure we can squeeze her in if you want to invite her to join us now."

Trowa managed a tight smile, cringing on the inside. "That will not be necessary. I don't want to undermine Heero's authority regarding your safety."

Relena made a noncommittal noise, thanked the waiter that delivered drinks to their table. "I just don't want my presence to affect your relationship with coworkers. On the converse, I think you could get away with sitting there. Heero and Duo would forgive you, I'm sure."

"Would you?"

She frowned, studying his features. "I'm not sure how to interpret that," she answered after viewing the question from several angles. She knocked her knee against him again. "Explain it to me? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" She fluttered her lashes and he was surprised into a laugh.

It took him a second to remember that they were not the only two seated at the table. The others were staring at them. Heero and Hildie looked slightly amused while Catherine and Duo were near the point of gaping with their mouths open.

Relena stared back. "Is there some rule against flirting in front of you?" she asked coolly, proud of herself for admitting to such an act and for keeping a blush off her face. Trowa was surprised by her words, but relieved that she had taken all of the attention upon herself.

"No, but it's a little weird, Lena." Duo rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture. "Food's here!" he announced when he saw a line of servers bearing trays of food. "I'm _starving_!" Hildie made some scathing comment about his stomach, causing everyone to laugh and successfully ending the awkward moment, much to Relena's relief. She ignored Heero's pointed stare, just as Trowa avoided Catherine's gaze.

Unbeknownst to the other, both shared the same thought for a split second. 'Damn it.'


	5. Chapter 5

_I apologize for the lengthy delay of an update. For some reason, toddlers aren't interested in letting me work on my story -_-_

As they exited the restaurant, Catherine linked Trowa's arm in hers, forcing him to stay by her side on the walk home. "I was just teasing you when I said I thought you'd appreciate a surprise visit from Relena," she began conversationally. "I didn't realize there was actual truth to it." She made up a little hum, looking up at her little brother. He stared straight ahead, jaw clenched. "Oh, come off it. I'm not going to make fun of you for liking a young lady. Relena's great."

He raised a brow. "But you'll make fun of me for a situation I can do nothing about."

She frowned and sighed. "I'm sorry I think it's amusing that you have acquired a human shadow." She snapped her fingers. "Why don't you ask Relena out on a date? Kill two birds with one stone."

"I'm not going to use her to ward off Misty." His flat, no-nonsense voice nearly killed Catherine's interest in continuing their talk.

The key word being _nearly_.

She tucked her hair behind one ear and patted his arm. "It would give you a chance to get to know Relena better and if Misty gets the hint you can take it as a perk." While they waited to cross the street, Misty managed to work her way over to them and smiled at Catherine.

"Cathy, I was wondering if you could give me a minute alone with Trowa," she said in lieu of a greeting.

The knife thrower hid a grimace at the nickname, but gave her brother a look that clearly signified that he needed to do _something, _ignoring Trowa's beseeching eyes,before joining Relena and Heero. "That woman is becoming irritating," she muttered between clenched teeth as she stood with them. "He needs to tell her to back off." They made covert glances in their friend's direction. Misty didn't seem to be having the easiest time initiating conversation.

Relena frowned in confusion. "I don't understand. I thought he liked her."

Catherine stared at the Vice Minister as though she had just spoken ancient Greek. "Are you _joking_? He's been trying to make her understand that he isn't interested for a week, although I don't think his method of ignoring her is working."

"Why doesn't he just tell her to leave him alone?" Heero asked. It made no sense to him for someone to put up with harassment.

"He doesn't want to cause any hurt feelings because we have to work with her. He has a firm belief in troupe harmony and tries not to make waves."

The light changed and the large crowd made their way across. The knife thrower and the bodyguard walked side-by-side, despite the latter's insistence that he would resort to drastic measures if she were ever in such a disagreeable situation. Heero had apparently forgotten his words to Relena because he seemed quite content to stay by the knife thrower's side as he maintained that a direct approach was the best way to solve any problem, while Catherine argued against every statement he made and neither showed any signs of backing down. As the walk progressed, Heero's somber mood began to lighten. He even smiled.

Relena found herself walking alone, just behind the arguing couple with Trowa and Misty to her left, several feet away. They were speaking in tones too quiet for her to hear, but she had no interest in eavesdropping. She chanced a peek in Trowa's direction, too relieved and too happy that he wasn't attracted to Misty after all. She couldn't fight the smile that was forming, although it would have been smart for her to turn away and try to hide it. But she didn't and it resulted in Trowa and Misty both looking in her direction at the same time. Trowa smiled back, almost laughing at the guilty smile on her face, but Misty was glaring daggers and tugged on his sleeve to win his attention back.

He wiped the smile from his face and looked down at the Web spinner. She had just asked him out on a date in plain terms. There was no way he could feign ignorance as to her intent and she was waiting for his reply with a suggestive smile. "I would have to check my schedule. You know that Catherine and I plan and practice our routines with complete dedication. We don't generally have a lot of spare time."

Misty sighed and tried to loop her arm through his, but he had stiffened, keeping his arms rigid against his sides, and the act failed. "You'll just have to make time then. Everyone needs a break every once in a while and I'm very good at getting people to relax." Her smile remained fixed in place, but she was beginning to feel frustrated. The circus was looming large in the near distance and she wanted him to say yes before they got back. "Come on, we'll have a good time."

He finally made eye contact with her. "Misty, I find it to be bad form to date coworkers. It's never a good idea to mix business with personal issues." They were only a few yards away from the park entrance and all he wanted was to sprint through the wrought iron gates and lock himself in with the lions.

She pouted in a playful manner, and was either genuinely unable to or refusing to comprehend that he was turning her down. "I'm sure you could make an exception for me, right?" She batted her eyelashes, remembering how he had laughed when Minister Dorlain had done it. It evoked no response from him and she frowned. "I really don't understand you, Trowa." Then she shrugged and smiled. "I'm taking you out this Wednesday whether you like it or not."

He stopped mid-step and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I am going to say this plainly: I am not interested in dating you. Go find someone else."

Misty laughed. "You'll wear down eventually." She touched his arm lightly before stepping away, heading for the other Web spinners.

He gritted his teeth, overwhelmed by a surge of irritation. Duo and Hildie sauntered up, laughing at some shared joke, the former slinging an arm across Trowa's shoulders. "What's eatin' ya? You look pretty upset."

Trowa gave in to his impulse to ask for advice. "How would you handle an irritating coworker that doesn't understand the concept of 'no?'"

Duo scratched the back of his head. "Did you spell it out to her or were you being nice?"

"I told her that I'm not interested in dating and to find someone else. She told me I'd wear down eventually."

"Well." He turned to Hildie. "Babe, what do you think? You're female. What would you need some dude to say to you to keep you away forever?"

Hildie shook her head. 'When will they learn?'_ s_he wondered to herself. "The words don't matter as much as her mindset does."

"Huh?" Duo and Trowa said in unison.

She rolled her eyes. They looked completely lost. She focused her gaze on Trowa. "Look, if you tell her you think she's a whore, then one of two things will happen. Either she's going to think you're an asshole and lose interest or she's going to take it as some sort of weird challenge to prove that she isn't. It is completely dependent upon her determination." She crossed her arms and blew stray hair away from her eyes. "There is one thing you could say that might work regardless."

"And what might that be?" It was hard to keep the skepticism out of his voice.

"Tell her she's not your type. If she asks any questions about what your type is, don't answer. You should be pretty good at keeping quiet, right?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"I hope it works. If it doesn't, I won't mind giving her a talking-to. Free of charge," she added with a wink.

"I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

"Now where do you suppose the others got to?" Hildie mused aloud. Trowa scanned the area, almost missing Catherine and Heero because he'd been focused on finding Relena. He stared in surprise – not because they were leaning against a tree, it was more directed toward the fact that Catherine and Heero were sharing a laugh. What the hell?

Duo nudged him, pointing covertly at the pair. "What do you suppose is going on over there?" He wasn't fighting the cheeky grin spreading across his face. He motioned for Hildie to look as well. Her grin was almost as wide as Duo's.

Trowa was at a loss for words. He had been under the impression that Heero couldn't stand his sister. So stunned was he that Relena walked up unnoticed. She studied the trio with a confused expression. "What are you all staring at?" she asked, waving one hand in Trowa's face when he didn't respond.

Apparently the former Heavyarms pilot had taken lessons from Heero or vice versa because their methods of directing her attention were identical: he grabbed her chin and forced her head to move to the correct viewing position.

Not for the first time within the past month, her jaw dropped. Catherine had one hand resting on Heero's arm and he didn't seem to mind. Not only that – he was giving her a sexy little smirk that Relena hadn't seen in years. It was one that had caused her own heart to flutter, on occasion (they were best friends, but it didn't stop him from being handsome, or from her acknowledging it once in a while). Maybe the walk back had been good for them.

She glanced at Catherine's younger brother. "Does the idea of them together bother you?"

Trowa pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm confused by it."

"Fair enough."

"I don't know what she sees in him," Trowa confessed.

Relena bristled, ready to defend Heero if need be. "What is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"She should have someone that will pay attention to her."

"He's paying attention to her right now."

"But he isn't giving her his complete focus." Trowa gestured toward the pair. "Even now, while she's speaking to him, he isn't looking at her. He's scanning the grounds, probably because of you. She deserves someone that has time for her and will make her a top priority."

"He's capable of achieving that." She crossed her arms before her. Her temper was beginning to get the better of her. "I don't see why he would want to be around someone that throws knives at him for fun, then mocks him for it."

"It's not like he didn't have it coming." Trowa didn't mean for the words to come out. He hadn't meant to say any of the things he was saying to Relena. He was irritated and tired and he knew he was pushing her buttons because of it, but understanding the reason didn't change anything, nor did it make him stop. "He isn't a knight in shining armor. And until your safety is no longer his job, he will never make anyone else his top priority."

A dull pang of hurt went through her. While Relena was not the main reason Heero and Sylvia's relationship had failed, she had played a part – one she didn't know she had until after Sylvia broke it off. The green-eyed pacifist had always been irritated by Heero's devotion to his role as the head of the Department of Interplanetary Affairs Security within Preventers, especially considering all his job really amounted to was spending a lot of time with his best friend, who was an attractive female, who was not her.

At least, that was how Heero had described it.

Relena pushed the faint sense of guilt away; she had come to terms with that a long time ago. "Who are you to judge anyone? You stole the name of a dead man, for crying out loud!" Her voice had escalated, causing people other than Duo and Hildie to gawk as they passed by the budding argument. She couldn't understand why they were arguing, how he knew about the issue with Sylvia, or why he was alluding to it, but she was determined not to back down. She did, however, lower her voice to avoid more attention. "Would your decisions have differed so much from Heero's?"

"Some. Maybe not as much as I'd like to think." He sighed, trying to get his thoughts in order, and reached for her hand. She fought to control her pulse, amazed that she was rapidly losing interest in being the "winner" of their absurd exchange. "Pretend I haven't been talking for the last few minutes."

"Okay."It was almost too easy to do as he requested and she was more than a little relieved that it was all over. She gave him a reassuring smile before looking over at Heero and Catherine once more. She dropped Trowa's hand when she saw her bodyguard approaching with a cold look on his face, the knife thrower just behind him.

"Oh no," she groaned and shot an apologetic look at Trowa. "I think Heero has decided to overreact without thinking again." Despite her apprehension a tiny part was excited to note that her bodyguard and Catherine were holding hands, although it looked like he was dragging her along instead of being sweet.

"At least he follows his own advice," her companion muttered.

"If only he realized how often it makes him look like an idiot," she murmured in reply. They hid their smiles as he stopped before them, glaring at Trowa.

"Is there something wrong here?" His suspicious frown aimed itself at the Vice Minister.

"It was a small matter of miscommunication, Heero. There is no need to overreact," Relena informed him with a bright smile. "Where did you wander off to, anyway? I was trying to find you."

He cleared his throat, keeping his expression blank. "Catherine has offered to give us a tour of the animal tents. Apparently Duo asked her about it earlier. Where are those two anyway?"

"They're over that way," Trowa replied, gesturing to the left. It looked as though Duo was trying to get some free cotton candy from the girl cleaning the maker.

Heero suppressed a growl of irritation and pulled on Catherine's hand. "We'll bring them back here, then we can go see the animals." He led the knife thrower away.

Relena sighed. "I'm not going to get the answer to my question any time soon."

"Is that your way of implying that you want us to find some activity to do that doesn't involve them?"

"Yes. Do you always find me to be this transparent?"

"I don't think I have enough experience to give a definite answer."

She glanced up at him with a coy smile. "Perhaps you should work on that."

"I suppose I could show you my work in progress," he suggested hesitantly.

"You don't sound like you want me to see it," she pointed out. "There's no use in doing something you won't enjoy."

"How good are you at being sneaky?"

"I _used_ to be good at it. I haven't done any sneaking around for a while though. Why?"

"Curiosity runs rampant among my coworkers and I enjoy my privacy."

"Well, I can only promise you that I'll do my best." She bit her lip. "I guess I shouldn't tell Heero that I'm going off with you unless you don't mind showing your project to them."

Trowa sent her an astonished look. "You'd dare go somewhere without clearing it first?"

She caught hold of his hand, tugged on it. "If you don't want anyone other than me seeing your project today, you should save the mockery for later. Heero has finally got a hold on Duo's appetite. They'll come back in less than thirty seconds, I'm sure."

He hesitated no longer and walked to the other side of the big top to keep them out of sight, tightening his grip on her fingers so as not to lose her. Even though the circus was done for the evening, there was still a good amount of people strolling through the park and he was grateful for the cover they provided. Relena trotted to keep up with his quickened pace, glad she was not wearing heels this time around.

"Where are we going anyway?" she asked. Heero's voice was faint as he called out first her name, then Trowa's.

"To the end of the park, near the colony wall. The only place I could keep my truck was by one of the lesser used maintenance sheds."

"Uh-huh." They passed by the trailers. Trowa gave a brief wave to a younger girl carrying an armload of sparkly props, slowing as their paths came close to intersecting.

"Goin' off to work on that secret project?" she called. Relena judged her to be around twelve years old.

"Yeah. Remember your promise?"

"Yeah, I remember." The girl rolled her eyes and huffed out an irritated sigh, but smiled when Trowa winked at her, executing a bow. "See ya later." They continued on their separate ways.

"Who was that?" Relena asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"That's Raven. She's the daughter of our costume designer, and more recently a new addition to the trapeze artists."

"Oh. What promise does she have to keep?"

"If she tells people I went in a direction opposite of my truck when they ask, then she can be the first to try out my project when it's done." They plunged into the densely wooded area of the park. Relena admired the close-growing clusters of trees that almost resembled the wilderness outside the Cinq Kingdom. She could just imagine sunlight sparkling through the canopy of leaves.

"So do you only not like Misty because she's a coworker?" she blurted out and forced herself to peer up at him through her lashes. "Catherine said that you weren't interested in her advances."

He seemed amused by the question. "If I was looking for a one-night stand, I probably wouldn't hesitate. She _is_ beautiful. But I'm not looking for a one-night stand and she's shallow and self-absorbed."

"She was un-absorbed enough to take a liking to you."

"I suspect she is only trying to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. That guy is all I ever overhear her talking about with the other Web spinners. Well, that and her plans for making him miserable, clothes, makeup and jewelry." Trowa shrugged.

She frowned. "I see the self-absorbency, but you can't label someone as shallow just because they enjoy fashion." Her cheeks were beginning to flush, but she plowed ahead with her train of thought. "Unless you think I'm shallow. I love trying on clothes and jewelry. Especially the really sparkly stuff."

"From what I can tell, you don't make assumptions about people based on whether or not they're wearing a jacket that is, as she put it, 'so last season,'" he pointed out.

"Well, I try not to. Can't say I wasn't shallow when I was younger though. Thank goodness Heero showed up when he did. I don't know what would have happened to me." Her tone was light, but Trowa was fairly certain she wasn't joking.

"Don't give him too much credit. There is no way of knowing how you would have turned out."

"I guess that's true." They were quiet for the last few minutes of their walk. Relena's eyes widened when she saw how massive the truck was. "_This _is classified as a truck? It's freaking huge!"

Trowa chuckled quietly. "It used to carry Heavyarms. It had to be large to accommodate a Gundam, you know?"

Her brows knitted together in a frown. "How could it have fit in there with the top on?"

"Ah." He pointed out several bolts on the side they were facing. "The top is removable. I didn't use it for Heavyarms, I just settled on a waterproof tarp. Not sure how much he appreciated that treatment. I reinstalled the top for my project. It needs a bit more protection from the elements."

Relena refrained from commenting on his personification of his Gundam; the others had often referred to the incredible mechs as "he" or "him" before. "Well, what's inside? I walked the whole way without complaining about my footwear," she teased with a smile.

"Of course. Curiosity outweighs decorum." Trowa led her to the back of the truck and unlocked the heavy door with a key. "Stand back." The door swung open and he pulled out a set of collapsible steps. "Watch your step."

She ascended with caution, moving to one side when she stepped through the doorway. It was pitch black inside. "Is there a light somewhere?"

"There are a few flashlights scattered around," he replied and found the one that he kept close to the door. "Wait here. I have to walk to the front so that I can hit the light switch."

"That explains the solar panels," Relena said. He worked his way to the front, leaving her to focus on the slightly fading light. He held his hand over the lens to keep the beam focused on a little spot just before him, disallowing Relena to catch any glimpses of what his project might be.

"I'm going to turn on the light. You might want to shield your eyes to let them adjust." Trowa's voice echoed slightly.

"Okay." She obediently closed her eyes tight, using one hand to shield them from the overhead lights. She could tell the lights had been turned on by the warm red glow she now saw from behind her eyelids. Counting to ten first, she slowly cracked her eyes open, blinking rapidly to dispel the colorful afterimages. When she could focus, she gazed at the contraption before her. "Is that what I think it is?" she breathed in wonder as Trowa returned.

"Sure is."


	6. Chapter 6

"I've never seen an antique one in person before. Is it okay for me to touch it?"

He nodded his assent and watched with a smirk as she approached the base of the carousel. The center panels that hid the mechanical work had been restored to their former brilliance. The warm cream color complemented the detailed symmetrical designs, allowing their jeweled tones to stand out. The edging on the mirrors that topped the panels had been repainted with the same painstaking care, and every light bulb was screwed into place. Most of the brass poles had been cleaned, polished, and reinstalled. A few of the wooden horses and one curved bench were finished with their restorations and were fitted onto the poles.

Relena couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen this carousel somewhere before. She glanced around and saw the top of the carousel laying behind the base. The rest of the horses and remaining two benches were off to one side. Cans of paint and sealants sat atop a white drop cloth sprinkled with color. Several different-sized brushes were scattered about. She tore her gaze away, settling her attention on Trowa. "You've done all this work by yourself? Where did it come from?"

"Raven helped me clean the poles, but I've done the rest. What?" He had caught her shaking her head with a smirk of amusement.

"I didn't expect you to have such an eclectic skill set. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised." She threw her hands up in a gesture of irritated helplessness. "Since meeting you, I haven't discovered a single thing about you that hasn't been fascinating. It's not fair."

He laughed. "Circus performers tend to lead semi-interesting lives." He stepped up beside her and ran one hand down the side of a horse with a brilliant blue saddle. "This particular carousel was once an attraction in Covent Garden, but as the newer carousels came into being this one was moved to the National Gallery in London and it was part of an exhibit for almost fifty years. It was moved into storage and sat for almost a century and when the troupe toured nearby I found out that the Gallery was going to throw it out so I bought it instead."

"I thought it looked familiar!" Relena exclaimed. "My father showed me pictures of his great-grandfather riding it when it was still in Covent Garden." She gave vent to a dreamy sigh. "I wish I could have seen it. Modern carousels are nothing like what this will be. Will it be functional when you're done with it, or is it just going to sit and look pretty?"

"The first part of the project was strictly getting the machinery to work. Do you want to ride it?"

Every ounce of willpower went towards keeping her feet planted firmly on the ground and her hands apart. She _would not _jump up and down and clap her hands like a little girl that just found out she got a pony for her birthday. "Do you really mean it?"

He could tell she was trying to hide her excitement and he found it endearing. "It goes a little faster than it's supposed to and there's no music."

"Who cares?" she cried and Trowa laughed again. He helped her climb on the platform, apologizing for the lack of stairs or ramp.

"Choose your ride then. I'll hook it up to the generator and get it going when you yell that you're ready." He walked out of sight and Relena looked at the seven horses available. They were all beautifully painted, but she finally chose a mahogany brown one with a dark gold mane tinged with green that sported a silver flower outlined with magenta just above its ear. The saddle was a lighter gold color with sweeping magenta and green curlicues and elegant spirals.

She slipped her left foot into a stirrup and boosted herself up. Her fingers traced the carved detail of the reins before gripping the brass pole. "I'm ready," she called. A moment later the sounds of a mechanical giant coming to life filled the enclosed space and slowly the platform began to revolve, causing her horse to rise and fall. The carousel gained speed and soon Relena was happily dizzy, laughing as her hat flew off. Her hair billowed outward, struggling against the confines of the elastic band that held it in a ponytail.

Her eyes closed and it was easy for her mind to conjure up a memory from when she had been very small, one she had forgotten she possessed, a day when Mr. Dorlain had taken her to a boardwalk carnival where she had ridden a traditional wooden carousel. She could almost smell the popcorn and corn dogs cooking that hadn't quite masked the briny scent of the ocean. Her eyes opened as the ride slowed down and she shook her head to bring her back to the present.

Relena slid off the beautiful horse with understandable reluctance, paying for her delay by getting her shoe caught in the stirrup and falling to her knees. She sighed and gave the horse a pat on its rump, not ready to stand again. Trowa appeared before her, hands resting on his hips. "What did you think?"

"I...um." She fell silent and offered a small smile, studying his face with an unblinking stare. The height of the platform put her at eye-level with the object of her "juvenile crush."

His expectant expression was traded in for one of concern when she failed to speak again. "Are you okay, Rel – " She interrupted his question by lunging forward and planting her lips square on his. It lasted all of five seconds, which coincided with when Relena came to her senses. She pushed herself upright, bracing her hands on his shoulders for balance. After accomplishing that she pulled her hands away and stared at them, unsure of what to do.

"What was that for?" Trowa asked quietly. Both avoided looking at the other.

"I didn't mean to," she said.

"You accidentally decided to pounce on me?"

She glared at him, but saw the teasing sparkle in his eye and found herself giggling at the silliness of it all. "A little scenario where I leaped into your arms and kissed you in thanks played out in my head and I was too slow to stop myself from following through. Ergo, I only meant to _think_ it, not _do_ it."

Trowa was having a difficult time of keeping his traitorous mouth from smiling. Oh, what the hell. He let his lips stretch into a wide, uncharacteristic smile and Relena gasped mockingly. "So you can use your mouth for more than sarcastic smirks and flippant comments after all!"

His smile morphed into a huge grin as he said, "I thought you just discovered what my mouth can be used for," which caused her to blush.

"You're so mean to me." She hopped down from the platform, taking his offered hand for balance, and retrieved her hat. "We should probably go find everyone else. We've been away for twenty minutes. I'm curious to see if Heero has gone back to avoiding Catherine."

He groaned and went to turn the lights off. "Thinking about them gives me a headache. It's weird to consider the possibility of my sister dating a close friend."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Heero felt very much the same about us." She stood in the dark until Trowa took her hand and led her to the door. They exited and he locked everything up after putting the stairs away. "Did Heero talk to you about Sylvia?" she finally asked. The question had been gnawing away at the back of her mind for a little while and it was aggravating.

Her tall companion was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't believe it was his original intent to tell me about it. This happened four years ago so my memory might not be too accurate." He glanced down at their entwined hands with mild surprise. Trowa was not used to holding hands with anyone and was unsure if he should stop. "Heero wanted to talk about the argument you two got into because of it, but his edited version of events was nonsensical so he was forced to confess. It didn't sound good."

Relena sighed and squeezed his hand reflexively. "That was the third worst fight we've ever gotten into. For a while I thought I was going to lose him for no good reason."

"You _are_ a good reason."

Her laugh was bitter. "He was in love with her. They could have had a future together, but he gave up that happiness because of me. When you love someone, nothing should come in the way of that."

"His love for you was stronger than his love for her, otherwise you would never have seen him again because that was what she wanted."

"I understood that. I was willing to accept it if it would make him happy." She heaved a sigh. "I even told him that and it made him even angrier!"

"Were you being obtuse on purpose? It wouldn't have made him happy to live without being able to at least talk to you. He doesn't want to be controlled in such a way."

"Maybe I was," she admitted. "But sometimes I wonder if he doesn't regret it."

"How could he ever regret wanting you in his life?" Trowa graced her with a dazzling smile. "I wouldn't."

Relena's answering smile was shy but pleased. "Aren't you the charmer?"

"It usually works on the snakes. Never tried it on a young woman before."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" She used her unoccupied hand to release her hair from its elastic band and ran her fingers through the slightly tangled mass.

"Would you believe that I never tried it on one as attractive in looks and personality as you?"

The clearing where the trailers sat was within sight so she stopped abruptly, yanking on his hand to bring him back. "Are you being sweet because you want another kiss?" Being so directly flirtatious made her stomach flip in a good way.

"No. I'm being sweet because I want a first kiss."

Her face betrayed her confusion. "You can't have two firsts."

"Ah, but I don't count what you're referring to as first."

"You can't deny that it happened because it did and we were both present and accounted for at the time of its occurrence."

"I am not denying that it happened, I simply disagree with your use of the label 'kiss.' It was more of a chaste peck."

"Hm. Unfortunately, I don't have too much experience kissing people so you'll have to forgive me if I am ignorant of the terminology associated with the act of kissing. Furthermore, I – hey!" He gathered the mass of her hair in one hand and tilted her chin up with the other, dragging her hand along with it. One second was all the time she was given as a chance to pull away and then it was gone and he was kissing her.

She locked her free hand around his neck, leaning on him as she rose on tiptoe to bring herself closer. Most of her brain shut down except for a tiny part of her imagination in which she was jumping up and down and clapping her hands because she was being kissed by Trowa in the wooded area of a park with no one around to tell her to stop. It was wonderful and intoxicating and scary.

Mere seconds later, he pulled away and chuckled at her starstruck appearance, feeling more than a little dazed himself. "We should go find the others, right?"

Relena licked her lips, enjoying the slightly spicy taste of his kiss. "I give that a ten for the most romantic words after a 'first' kiss," she teased. She breathed in deep and glanced around her. "Where do you suppose we should start looking for everyone?"

"Probably where they said they would be." They began their journey to the animal tents, walking past the trailers.

"You still haven't told my why you make conversation the verbal equivalent of pulling teeth," she reminded him as they neared their destination.

"Few things are as amazing as the amount of effort a person will put forth to annoy someone else."

"What kind of answer is that?" she demanded. A second later, she laughed. "No one has used an aphorism to answer my questions before. So you do it to be annoying?"

"No, but the truth is much more boring."

"And the truth is?"

He shook his head. "I'll not divulge all my secrets in one visit."

"I guess it's a good thing that I enjoy being in your company otherwise my curiosity would be the death of me." She surveyed the tents. "Where do you suppose they are?"

"Let's check the elephant and horse tent first. I doubt they'll be with the cats."

"Why?"

"Space travel messes with them for a day or two so we usually only bother them with food and cleanup." They approached the right tent and Trowa pulled the flap out of the way so Relena could walk through. She thanked him and ducked inside, gasping in surprise to find Heero, Hildie and Duo riding atop the largest of three elephants. Catherine led the elephant from below. When their circuit was complete the knife thrower spoke a command and patted the elephant's leg. The large creature knelt down to offer her passengers a way down.

Trowa nudged Relena forward and she shoved her hands in her pockets as they joined their friends. "That looked like fun," the Vice Minister announced once everyone had their feet back on terra firma.

"Oh there you are!" Hildie exclaimed. "I thought Heero was going to blow a gasket when he couldn't find you guys. Luckily Catherine got him calmed down. Duo put forth an effort, but only made it worse." She studied Relena's face and raised her eyebrows, but said nothing, much to the other woman's relief.

Heero grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forcefully toward the exit. "What the hell do you think you were doing just running off on your own like that? How am I supposed to protect you if I don't know where you are?"

She squirmed, unable to free herself. "Calm down. I'm okay and you're hurting me." He relaxed his grip slightly, but not enough for her to get away. "I can take care of myself and Trowa was with me. Don't you trust him to be able to fend off any bad guys?"

"It's not that." Heero hesitated, then sighed. "We'll discuss this later. I'm glad you're all right." He finally let go of her arm and pulled her to him in a brief sideways hug. "Did you at least enjoy yourself while giving me a heart attack?"

"Yes." Her expression was smug. "Did you?"

"More than I thought I would." He rolled his eyes and directed her back toward the others.

"Is everything all right?" Catherine asked and they nodded.

"Couldn't be better," Heero said. Once again, the attention was turned to Trowa and Relena. "Where were you two anyway?"

The pilot and the princess glanced at one another, Relena catching a brief glimpse of panic before it was concealed by neutrality. They hadn't thought of a cover story. "I saw some of the animals last time we visited, so I told Trowa I wanted to see if that tree house in the park was still there," she answered.

Heero frowned. "Hildie told you it was still standing earlier today when you asked."

"I know, but you have told me several times before that I should always see for myself if something is true." She winked slyly at Trowa who gave a slight nod of appreciation in return. He was relieved that she had remembered to keep his project a secret and chosen a plausible excuse that kept them away from the circus grounds in case Heero decided to interrogate the other troupe members.

"What did you think of the animals?" Trowa asked Duo and Hildie. They immediately tried to talk over one another, which caused Duo to slap a hand over her mouth and her to wrap the end of his braid around her hand and pull until he let go.

He howled in pain as Hildie replied, "We only got to take a quick peek at the cats, but they're absolutely gorgeous. As for these big guys, they're just amazing. I wasn't expecting to ride on one. It was so much fun." She turned to Catherine. "Thank you for giving us that opportunity. Do you let people ride them often?"

"We make exceptions every now and then, but they deserve more respect than to be treated as an amusing form of transportation."

Duo checked his watch and gave Hildie a playful swat on her rump. "It's almost nine, darling."

"We have to feed our babies!" She cried, bringing her hands to her face. "How could I forget? They're probably starving and lonely."

"Babies?" Trowa echoed.

Heero rolled his eyes. "A reptile and a quadruped. Neither one looks much like a baby."

Hildie shot him a dirty look. "Skittles and Ein are integral members of our family. Just because they don't like you doesn't mean you get to belittle their importance."

"I'm sorry," Catherine interjected, "but I still don't understand who they are."

"Skittles is an albino ball python and Ein is a Welsh corgi," she clarified, still glaring at the former Perfect Soldier. "Heero doesn't like Skittles because he's afraid of snakes."

"There is no evidence to support such a claim," he said sternly.

Duo looked uneasily between the two. "Anyway, we have to get home so that the feeding frenzy can begin." He addressed the siblings. "If you guys get some free time before you have to leave, you should stop by our casa and meet them."

"Sounds great," Catherine replied. "I love snakes." Heero looked slightly ill at that and she smiled sweetly in his direction. She glanced up at Trowa. "What do you think?"

He shrugged. "We aren't scheduled to perform on Tuesday. Does that work for you?"

"Sure. We can have a cookout." Duo's starry-eyed expression made everyone laugh as he envisioned smoked ribs and grilled burgers. "Lena, you and Heero need to come too when you get out of the conference. Who knows the next time we'll all get to hang out like this?"

"I hate to be a killjoy, but I don't know if we'll be able to attend," Relena admitted. "Tuesday's workload is entirely dependent on how tomorrow goes. I don't have the authority to declare an end to the conference. Just because I'm necessary doesn't mean I'm important."

"Aw, c'mon! All you have to do is autograph a bunch of papers, right? How long can that take?" Duo demanded.

She rolled her eyes. "It's politics, hon. Even if it wasn't, there are a lot of bases that need to be covered when talking of the introduction of a new currency. The Ministry of Interplanetary Affairs has been working hard to make sure everything goes smoothly and I can't just say I need to leave early to go to a cookout."

He scowled. "You're no fun."

"Trust me, I know," she muttered. "Look, we'll see how tomorrow goes. That's all I can promise." She eyed Heero. "You can go without me if I get held up for whatever reason. I'll be safe enough with the rest of the Ministry."

"Like you said, we'll see how it plays out."

"At least make the time to say goodbye to everyone before heading back to Earth," Hildie said.

"Of course." Relena pulled her friend into a hug when she made to leave with Duo. "Tell Skittles and Ein I said good night. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Sounds good." More farewells were exchanged before the couple began their walk home.

Heero looked at his charge. "Are we done being social for tonight or do you want to go out to a bar?"

She stared at her bodyguard in surprise, not missing the delighted look Catherine sent his way. "Sure, but I don't want to stay out too late. You guys coming with?" She sent Trowa a pleading glance and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout for good measure. "I don't want to be the only one forced into reminiscing about times past."

"I need to grab my jacket," Trowa and Heero said in unison.

"Okay," Relena replied. "Catherine and I will wait right here for you both." She waited until they were out of earshot. "I'm glad Heero isn't trying to avoid you any longer."

The knife thrower offered a smile that was equally wicked and guilty. "I can be persuasive when the mood is right."

The Vice Minster laughed. "I don't completely understand your technique, but whatever works and all that."

"My technique?" Catherine shoved her hands in her pockets. "What are you talking about?"

"Assault, sexual harassment, instigation, flirtation and temptation." Relena ticked off each point with her fingers. "You bombard him with conflicting actions and words until he's so confused he can't help but give in to your charm. The poor man never stood a chance."

"Yeah, okay. I doubt my so-called technique holds a candle to yours. I'm dying to know how you broke through Trowa's defenses so easily."

"His defenses?" Her bewildered expression matched her tone. She balanced on one foot as she scratched her ankle. "I'll admit that I had a preconceived notion that he would be difficult to talk to, but it seems like people just like to exaggerate. I'll admit he's on the quiet side, but he's more of an active participant in conversation than I was led to believe."

Catherine sent her an odd look. "A month ago it was impossible to get him to respond to a question that required anything longer than a two- or three-word answer. Now he speaks full sentences. He's always been extremely reserved, but lately he's been loosening up a bit."

"He spoke full sentences the first time I had a chat with him. I – oh. This will be interesting." She tilted her head to the left, pretending to crack her neck. "Look in the direction of my head, but be discreet."

"Oh, Jesus wept!" Contempt rang clear as a bell as Trowa's sister watched him approach with Misty in tow. "Is it so wrong for me to think that if he managed to help save the world, then he should be able to manage avoiding her like the plague?"

"The plague has been out of commission for a while and there's really no way he can stop her from following him around as long as it's in public." She shrugged. "Maybe she'll get the hint when she realizes that you, Trowa and Heero don't want her around."

"Are you implying that you want her around?"

"No, but I have to be civil. I have reputation to think about, as much as I hate to say it. If I was really just an unimportant girl, I would probably be downright hostile. Over the years I have learned how to play nicely with others I can't stand to be around. Comes with the territory."

Catherine gave her a sidelong glance as she raised her hand in a halfhearted greeting. "I will never envy your job."

"Most people don't," Relena said with a sigh. She placed her hands on her hips and twisted her torso in the hopes of cracking her spine. "Hello again," she greeted when the clown and the Web spinner finally reached them.

"Hello, Minister. I hope you don't mind if I steal Trowa away from you tonight. Some of us are going to a club and we'd love to have him along. I'd invite you to join us, but I'm sure one of your kind would never be caught dead in a room full of people having a good time." Misty flashed a bright innocent smile. "I'm sure you understand."

She was confused when Relena graced her with a small, gentle smile. "You're quite right, Misty. It would be bad for my image if I was seen spending time with people that are so desperate for attention that they go out of their way to dress like crack whores and brag about how drunk they are." Her calm voice was almost regretful and by some miracle completely lacking in sarcasm or condescension. Her features remained bland as she inclined her head to look at Trowa. "Mr. Barton, I trust that you are well aware that you are under no obligation to accompany us this evening if it is not your desire to do so."

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, keeping his tone solemn as he answered, "I understand, Minister Dorlain. However, I have been unsuccessful in convincing Misty that I have already dedicated myself to you."

"I see." She appraised the Web spinner with an elegantly disdainful look. "Is there some reason you are unable to comprehend that Mr. Barton has declined your invitation?"

Misty squirmed under her stare, disbelieving that the childlike creature before her could command such an intimidating presence. Her premature judgment of Relena's character, as formed by watching the Vice Minister speak on television, had been dead wrong and she wasn't sure what to do about it. It wasn't often that she was confronted by someone that she couldn't charm, seduce or scare into letting her do whatever she wanted.

Relena cleared her throat gently to bring the Web spinner back to the present situation. "Do you need more time to form your answer or has the past minute been sufficient?"

Misty fought to keep from glaring. She was embarrassed and angry and desperate for a way out. In an attempt at saving the rest of her dignity, she narrowed her eyes at Trowa and made a show of putting him in his place. "Next time, a simple no will suffice. I don't appreciate you dragging me over here, saying that you need me to get permission from the Vice Minister – which is stupid in the first place – and then turn around and say that I can't take a hint." She crossed her arms and delivered what, in her mind, was the death blow. "I don't want anything further to do with you in any way, shape or form unless it is because of our profession. We are through!"

She stalked off without another word and the others watched her retreat in a silence that wasn't broken until she was out of sight.

Relena frowned at Trowa. "What the hell was that all about, exactly? Were you using me to get her off your back?"

"It was not my intent for her to follow me here. I told her that I had already agreed to go out with you and Heero."

She gritted her teeth, doing her best not to shout at him. "I know you try not to hurt the feelings of other people and all, but this is the second time you've used my social and political status to ward her off and I don't appreciate it."

"I didn't tell you to start a verbal standoff with her," Trowa pointed out. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his leather Preventers jacket.

"Maybe if you weren't so inept at telling people off, I wouldn't have had to." To her relief, Heero had arrived. "Are you ready to go?" she snapped. "I need a drink."

Heero gave her a curious look, but knew better than to question her. "Where are we going?"

Catherine linked her arm with Relena's and steered her to the sidewalk. "There's a little place a few blocks down that I went to yesterday. We'll lead the way." As she passed the bodyguard she whispered, "Why don't you have a little chat with Trowa? They just had a little spat." Raising her voice she asked Relena, "So, what's your poison?"

Heero narrowed his eyes at Trowa as they fell in behind the two women. "This is the second time you've upset Relena today."

"Thank you for stating facts that I'm already aware of," Trowa snapped. "She's not the only one that needs a drink."


	7. Chapter 7

_Terribly sorry for the update delay! Once again, thank you all for your inspiring comments!_

Relena's dark scowl would have terrified her suitcase if it had a pulse. As that wasn't the case, she allowed herself to maintain the expression of a woman scorned. Her headache seemed to throb with every beat of her heart. It was annoying, to say the least. The past day and a half had been stressful and they shouldn't have been. That was the most upsetting part about her emotional melodrama.

The conference had gone well, so much better than expected. The new Martian currency had been approved and everyone within the colonies and the United Earth Sphere were ready to begin the preliminary stages of monetary integration. There had been a few squabbles, but nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that had left her feeling less than competent.

Her eyes narrowed when she thought over the part that was bothering her: the fantastic row she and Trowa had gotten into at Spotted Dog, the bar Catherine had led them to.

/By the time her first drink was finished, Relena had been in much better spirits. When her third drink was gone, her and Trowa had been back to their teasing banter. The fifth drink, which was the largest margarita she had ever seen, was shared by the both of them. They had nearly kissed when she realized she had to excuse herself to the ladies' room, extracting the promise of a go on the dance floor when she came back.

Upon that return, she found an empty table and Trowa on the dance floor with the one person he had been desperately trying to avoid not only all day, but for the past week. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. With her brain swimming in tequila, she wound her way through the mass of people in her way and did something she hadn't believed could be done.

She spun Trowa around and kicked his legs out from under him, using his unsteadiness to flip him over her shoulder – no easy feat. Some dim lucid thought tried in vain to remind her that Wufei had said his teachings were to be used strictly for self-defense. Another less lucid, but more forceful thought reasoned that she was defending her emotional well-being.

Before Trowa could pick himself up or make any kind of defensive move, she literally pounced on top of him and pinned his arms down with her knees. "You said we would dance when I got back. I was only gone for a minute or two. What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled. "You say that you don't want to be around her. You go out of your way to say nice things to me. You even kissed me! And then I find you with_ her_?"

"What about you coming over here and attacking me? You didn't even make an attempt to figure out what was going on!" he yelled back. "Besides, don't you think it's a little early in the relationship to be jealous?"

"All I know is that you don't dance with someone you want to avoid! Don't give me any bullshit lines about keeping the peace. If you're so stuck on her, stop flirting with me!" She leaned in closer as she delivered the last line, determined to make him realize she was being serious. For good measure, she gripped his hair in both hands.

To her amazement, he started laughing. "You really are gorgeous when you're pissed off." As the world tilted before his eyes, he darted his head forward and gave her a lustful kiss, much more demanding but just as sweet as their first.

She slammed his head into the ground hard enough for him to see stars and stood up. "You don't play fair and we are _not _in a relationship!" She offered a cute, if wobbly, curtsey to the gathered crowd and pushed by Catherine and Heero as they arrived on the scene./

Relena slammed a neatly-folded blouse into the open suitcase and flopped backward onto the bed. It was difficult to tell if her aggression was fueled more by anger or embarrassment. She tried to distract her mind by toying with the suitcase's zipper tab. She should try to look on the bright side: at least her public temper tantrum hadn't made it to the tabloids.

The dark side was that she had Misty to thank for the lack of headlines. Somehow the Web spinner had convinced witnesses to keep their silence to prevent any negative publicity that might affect the circus.

"It's not fair," Relena announced to the empty room with a pout. Her stomach rumbled in agreement and she glanced at the bedside clock. It was a few minutes past midnight and Heero had yet to return from Duo's cookout with food for her.

Well, at least someone was having a good time.

She smacked herself in the forehead and forced her body into a sitting position. It was her fault and hers alone that she wasn't with everyone tonight, so there was no point in being bitter about it. She had called Hildie once work was over and excused herself from joining them, pleading illness. It wasn't entirely untrue, her headache persisted and every time she thought about Trowa her stomach started to feel queasy – a side effect of her anxiety.

They hadn't spoken since that night, though there were surely a few things that needed to be said, but she couldn't summon the energy or courage to confront him. As far as she was concerned, she'd come to him twice. He could make the effort to see her this time around. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, stop worrying about Trowa and get on with packing," she said sternly and clapped her hands together.

Knocking on the door brought a smile to her face. Finally, Heero was back with food! She took a second to glance through the peephole to avoid a lecture and her smile vanished. She forced it to come back and looked around her room. It wasn't the tidiest, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now except throw the bra hanging off the door handle in the closet. She straightened her shoulders, kept her expression polite and pulled the door open.

"I'm surprised to see you here at such a late hour," she greeted.

Misty offered a small, tight-lipped smile. "It is late," she agreed, "but I wanted to talk to you before you left and I only finished gathering my thoughts a few minutes ago."

Relena stood to one side. "Well, come on in. Please excuse the mess. We can talk in the sitting room."

The Web spinner stepped in quickly and locked the door behind her, waited for the Vice Minister to lead the way. She surveyed the room in surprise. "It isn't as neat and tidy as I was expecting."

Relena kept her face bland. "I generally have more to worry about than the state of my bedroom." She unlocked the door leading to the sitting room. "Make yourself comfortable. May I get you anything to drink? I have water and a sparkling riesling. There is hard liquor as well, but you will have to pay for it yourself, I'm afraid."

"Perhaps a glass of wine? It might help me to calm my nerves," Misty confessed and perched on the edge of one sofa. She smoothed her short skirt before folding her hands in her lap.

Relena was glad she'd put off dressing for bed. She poured two glasses of wine, appreciating the light aroma of peaches, and handed Misty her glass before sitting opposite her on the other sofa. She took a sip of the bubbly liquid and couldn't help but smile at the crisp sweetness. "So shall we make small talk for a few minutes or do you want to get down to business and explain why you're here?"

"Might as well cut to the chase." Misty gave the woman across her an admiring once-over. "I had a whole scenario painted in my head about what would happen when I came here and so far I've been dead wrong. I underestimated you again, and I'm sorry for that."

"I see. Well, you aren't the first to do it." Relena gave her an arch look as she sipped her wine. "What, pray tell, did you think would happen?"

"I expected to rip you a new one, to be blunt about it." Misty smiled in a self-conscious way, ran the tip of one finger around the rim of her glass. "I almost had myself convinced that if it weren't for you, I'd have Trowa wrapped around my finger." She shook her head. "Of course it isn't true."

"I'm beginning to realize that the attention of a man can make us do stupid things," Relena said. "You're not the only one that behaved badly, allow me to reassure you. But really...why didn't you back off when he asked you to?"

Misty shrugged. "Hard to say. The ordeal with my ex was a blow to my ego and I needed to prove to myself that I'm still attractive."

"Why would you ever doubt such a thing? You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in person."

"Thank you. It isn't achieved without effort," she admitted. "I've worked hard to create my ideal image. I hope you don't think I'm going to say this just to get on your good side, but you look very pretty when you aren't wearing a skirt suit."

Relena laughed, unfazed by the backhanded compliment. "Heero tells me I dress like a hippie."

"Heero is your...bodyguard?"

"You sound confused."

"Well, I just find it odd that you are so friendly with him. It doesn't seem like it would be a good idea to befriend someone I wanted to protect me." She took a long sip of wine, draining her glass. "Would you mind if I got some more?"

"Not at all. Might as well just bring the bottle back with you. I'll need a refill soon," Relena replied. Something had begun niggling at the back of her brain, but she couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"Sounds good." Misty returned and poured for her companion. "This is nice, being able to talk woman to woman without having to worry about a man interrupting us."

"Yes, it isn't often that Heero isn't around. He takes his job very seriously."

The brunette leaned forward, an expression of interest on her face. "He is quite handsome. I can understand why you would want him around all the time. But doesn't it distract you from your work?"

"Not at all. I don't want him around because he's attractive, it's more because he's devoted to his job and I know that I am safe in his presence. They don't let just anyone work for Preventers."

"I noticed he seems interested in Cathy. It doesn't upset you that he's with her?"

"Why would it? I have no romantic interests in him. If I did, he would not be under my employment." Relena's unease began to grow, but she had no idea why. She took a large gulp of wine to calm her nerves and crossed one leg over the other. "I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at."

"Nothing. I'm simply making conversation. I want to know more about you. Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Ask away. There is no guarantee I will answer."

"Of course." Misty leaned closer and lowered her voice, her tone a breathy sound just above a whisper. Almost a bedroom voice. "Have you ever slept with a woman?"

Relena raised an eyebrow, her head feeling fuzzy."Years ago. Why?" She fought to keep a blush off her cheeks and a memory out of her head. She blamed drinking wine on an empty stomach for that particular admission.

"Curiosity. Don't worry, I won't try to seduce you." Her smile was wicked.

"What a relief. That concern was high on my list," the Vice Minister replied. They heard the door to Heero's room open and close, then two sets of muffled footsteps approach the door to the common room. "That must be Heero and Catherine."

"I suppose I should make my leave then." Misty rose and stood before Relena. "Good night, Relena. Thank you for everything."

"Thank you as well. For your help Sunday night." Relena tilted her head up to smile.

"You're welcome." Just as the door swung open to reveal Heero and Catherine, the Web spinner swooped down and administered a sensuous kiss on the unsuspecting woman, taking advantage of her gasp of surprise. Relena's shock prevented her from pushing Misty away, sitting rigid until the aggressor pulled away with a slightly evil smirk.

Misty straightened, emptied her glass of wine, and deposited it in the sink before leaving, taking the time to bid Heero and Catherine good night.

Heero had to blink several times and pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "What the hell was that about?" he demanded, the bag of food in his hand forgotten as he stared at his best friend as though she had just sprouted three heads.

Relena cleared her throat and shook her head, sobriety cutting through the fog. "I don't know. It certainly wasn't _my_ idea." She waited as Heero and Catherine settled on the sofa Misty had just been occupying, pouring herself a new glass of wine in the process. "She came here to talk, we shared some wine, then she said she had to leave when we heard you come in and she kissed me. If I didn't know any better, which I don't, I 'd say she timed it so you would see. I can't imagine why, though."

"The fact that she would come and talk with you is odd all on its own," Catherine mused.

"Well, that's what she did and she's not here to reveal her motives."

"Tell us everything about your conversation with her," Heero said. "Something about this doesn't sit right with me."

Relena proceeded to go over their verbal exchange while eying the bag of food at his feet. When she had finished, he handed her the bag and she savored the aroma of barbeque sauce. "So, did you two have a good time at Duo's?" She was desperate to change the subject, already tired of talking about Misty's behavior.

"Yes, it's such a shame you weren't there with us," Catherine replied. "Duo and Hildie send their love, of course. I had a great time playing with Skittles and the food was delicious. What do you think of it?"

"I agree," she managed around a mouthful of food. "What took you so long though? I was starving to death," she informed Heero with a playful glare.

"Catherine wanted to walk here from there to enjoy the beautiful night sky, or so she said." He sent the knife thrower a suspicious look. "How anyone could find recycled air inside a colony lacking a good view of space beautiful is beyond me. But she likes snakes. Obviously she has mental issues."

"Ha! I might as well call myself Normal McGee compared to you," Catherine teased. "Afraid of snakes, an irrational obsession with rust and a love of peanut butter cups so intense that it borders on psychotic. You win the non-normal award."

"Coming from the woman that's terrified of puppets, obsessed with cheap rhinestone barrettes and a love of throwing sharp objects at family members. When it comes to oddness, you take the cake," Heero countered. "A weird cake."

Relena laughed, clearly amused by their banter. "I'm so glad you remember how to play nicely with others, Heero dearest."

"Yes, you're one to talk," he said blandly. "How is not talking to Trowa working out for you anyway?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "That's his decision. I shouldn't have to make the first move every time."

"I believe he asserted himself when you had him pinned down," Catherine pointed out.

"You're supposed to be on my side!" Relena exclaimed before focusing her attention on her food once again. "This is just _so_ good."

"And on that note, I must take my leave." The knife thrower rose, Heero and Relena standing as well. She pulled Relena into a hug. "Have a safe flight home. I hope we meet again soon. It's always a pleasure. And please excuse my brother," she whispered. "Sometimes he's one sandwich short of a picnic when it comes to someone like you."

"What do you mean 'someone like me?'" Relena whispered back.

"You know, a pretty girl he's beginning to lose his head over." Catherine winked and disengaged from the shorter woman. She looked at Heero. "Care to walk a lady home?"

"Sure." The bodyguard gave Relena a stern look. "When you go to bed, make sure your door is locked. I'm going to check when I get back." She made a face, but smiled when he brushed his lips lightly against his temple. "Get some sleep. We leave early tomorrow," he reminded her and left with Catherine.

The Vice Minister looked at the empty tupperware container before her and rubbed her stomach in a consoling way. "I know you're still hungry. Maybe there's more food." She pushed napkins out of the way and uncovered another container. To her delight, this one contained several kinds of dessert. She grabbed her PDA before tucking in, remembering the word Trowa had given her to look up. She found the entry for 'miasma' as she took a bite of cheesecake and worked hard to keep from choking when she laughed.

Miasma: noun, pollution in the atmosphere, esp noxious vapors from decomposing organic matter

What an unpleasant way to describe Misty.

Heero caught Catherine smiling even though she tried to hide it when he took her hand in his. "It's not because I like you," he informed her. "You're slow and I don't want you to get hit by a car because you took too long to cross the street."

"Did I question your motive in any way, shape or form?"

No response.

"Right. Well, thank you for escorting me." They climbed over the closed park gate with ease and stood before the dark looming shape of the big top.

"You're welcome. Should I continue to walk with you or can you manage to get back to your trailer in one piece without my services?"

Catherine tapped her chin as she pretended to think about it. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it myself, but I wouldn't mind the company." They continued to walk. The light diminished as they traveled further into the park. "I think I genuinely enjoy your presence." She paused before adding, "That's supposed to be a compliment, by the way."

"Yes, I had figured that out," he replied. "I'm beginning to enjoy yours as well. When you're not playing with snakes or pinning me to a wall with knives."

"That was completely your fault. You shouldn't issue stupid challenges."

"I didn't. I voiced a statement, which you perceived to be a challenge," Heero explained, speaking slowly as though his listener was a child and not a woman two years his senior.

"When you begin a sentence with 'I bet you can't,' I'd say seven times out of ten the person you're speaking to will take it to be a challenge." She tapped a finger against his head. "Think before you speak, sir."

"We're going to have to agree to disagree on this particular subject." They reached Catherine's trailer and she stepped up on the the short stoop, turning to face him. They were nearly eye level.

"You're not as tall as I thought you were," she commented. "I'm only five-four and this step makes me a little under five-eight."

"I'm taller than the average Japanese male," he responded solemnly. "At least I'm not shorter than Wufei."

Trowa overheard on his way to the showers and chuckled before calling, "Only by an inch, if that."

"We all know you're the tallest. No need to gloat," Heero grumbled. He returned Trowa's brief salute before Catherine regained his attention.

"So you're, what, five-nine?"

"And a half."

She laughed. "Because that makes a _huge _difference."

He smirked and pulled her into a warm embrace of his own volition. "Good night, Catherine. I hope to see you again soon."

She smiled and leaned the side of her head against his. "Me too. Good night. Have an uneventful flight home."

It lasted thirty seconds longer than Heero meant it to, but end it did. He grasped her hand and kissed her open palm lightly. "Keep an eye on Misty for me. She's weird." That said, he left.

Catherine lingered outside, waiting for Trowa to reappear. She was anxious to know his opinion of the encounter between Relena and Misty.

As the minutes ticked past, the knife thrower began to doubt the need to tell her brother what had happened. Was it necessary for him to know? Perhaps. Would Relena want her to tell him about it? That question gave her pause. She was fond of the Vice Minister, but she didn't know her well enough to guess the answer. Maybe it would be better if she kept it to herself. She nodded once and turned the doorknob, content with her decision of silence and looking forward to getting in a bit of reading before bed.

Her eyes were drooping shut twenty minutes later and she groggily reached for her bookmark. _Pandora's Star_ just managed to maintain balance as it was placed precariously on the edge of the nightstand. 'Mission accomplished,' she thought with a sleepy grin before rolling over and allowing her body and mind to rest.

Not seven minutes after she had fallen asleep, a loud, obnoxious banging roused her. "Somebody better be dying," she declared as she struggled to tie the belt of her robe. She yanked the door open to find Misty. "For the love of all that is holy, like my sleep, what the hell do you want?" Catherine demanded angrily. Interrupting the rest of a knife thrower was never recommended, especially when that knife thrower didn't like you very much.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Cathy, but I feel as though my heart is torn in two," the Web spinner announced . She pushed her way into the trailer and sat on the bed.

"I'm not interested. Get out." Catherine pointed to the door. "There's the exit. I expect you to use it." After five seconds she added, "Right now."

"I just wanted some advice on how to seduce a young woman."

"Why would you come to me? I'm not into girls."

Misty's smile fell. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I assumed you were since you don't seem to go on any dates with men." Her mouth pouted prettily. "Well, seeing how I'm already here - "

"Which you shouldn't be," Catherine cut in.

"Do you think Trowa would ever date a woman that has slept with another woman?"

The knife thrower rubbed her eyes irritably. "You have to ask him. Now stop wasting my time with stupid questions and let me go to sleep. We have work in the morning."

"Thanks for your time. You're a real sport." Misty left, slamming the door behind her.

Catherine fell onto her bed and passed out, too tired to puzzle over the Web spinner's unusual inquiries.

Trowa fought a gnawing sense of guilt while walking to his caravan for two reasons. The first was, upon hearing the voices of Catherine and Misty on his way back from the showers, he had retraced his steps and taken the long way, passing by the big top and the games tents.

Amid the guilt, curiosity vied for his attention as well. What could those two possibly have to talk about, especially at twelve fifty-three in the morning? Something told him that when he found out he would wish he hadn't.

He entered his little home and stripped his shirt off before flopping back on the bed. He grabbed his clock, prepared to set the alarm for half-past nine, but changed his mind at the last second and set it an hour and a half earlier. The second reason for his guilt came into play: not resolving the conflict with Relena. He had expected her to make the first move, had expected her to apologize for starting the argument, but then she hadn't come. Not Monday, not today (technically speaking, it was _yesterday, _but he didn't care). Then she hadn't been at Duo and Hildie's house. Heero had claimed she was suffering from a migraine, a story that Hildie confirmed. Seeing her was something he'd been looking forward to.

At any rate, it was clear that if he'd waited for Relena instead of going with Misty – a decision that still baffled him – there would have been no argument and he wouldn't have a slight concussion. Her flight left at nine, but he knew Heero would have them at the spaceport forty-five minutes early. If he timed it right, and if Relena was agreeable, they'd have time to share breakfast and resume whatever kind of relationship theirs was classified as.

For the first time in his life, he fell asleep wondering if she would miss him when she left.


	8. Chapter 8

_I went on vacation and forgot the laptop :-( I'm trying not to make a habit of late updates, but am obviously failing._

When putting on shoes became a Herculean task it was too early to be awake, Relena decided. Her mouth stretched wide in a yawn and she looked longingly at the bed, but turned her back on it and finished packing her carry-on bag. Muddled thoughts battled for rank, the idea of coffee just winning out over the idea of making use of the hotel's gym.

She headed for the kitchenette and scowled when she discovered that the only option was instant espresso despite the drip coffee maker on the counter. She picked up a packet between thumb and forefinger and willed it to transform into regular ground coffee. It was no surprise when that didn't happen. Mind over matter only worked if the conditions were right.

She tossed the packet onto the counter and sighed. Instant espresso was only good for baking, in her opinion. She glanced at the door that connected to Heero's room and debated waking him up so that they could find a coffee shop, but nixed that idea almost instantly. It would be better to go alone and bring coffee back for him. He was a grouchy bear early in the morning and they had been asked to leave several places because of it in the past. She'd had enough embarrassment for one trip.

She ran a brush through her hair quickly, grabbed her purse and opened the door, just managing to stifle a surprised shriek. Trowa stood before her, hand raised to knock. For several seconds they simply stared at one another dumbly. Relena's keys fell to the ground and she jumped at the sound. "Good morning, Trowa. What are you doing here?" She scooped them up and threw them in her purse. "Do you usually wake up at the crack of dawn?"

He offered a faint smile. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"

"Your preference. Um, did you want to come in?" She stepped aside.

"It looks like you're on your way out. Where's Heero?" he asked.

"Probably sleeping. I was going to ask the front desk where to get a decent cup of coffee." She covered her mouth as a yawn overtook her.

"I see. Would you like some company?" He kept his features neutral when she frowned and scratched her head.

"Sure. I guess I should leave a note for Heero. Be right back." She left to accomplish her goal and Trowa continued to stand in the hallway. He realized he was holding his breath and let it out in a sigh, relieved that she hadn't turned him away. "What are you doing up at such an early hour anyway?" Relena repeated when she reappeared.

"Do you always ask a lot of questions in the morning?"

She raised a brow. "I could ask you the same, but then we wouldn't be on par any longer. We've each made four inquiries and thus far you've mostly answered mine with questions. If your short-term memory is any good you should answer some of mine with statements, starting with the first."

"I came here to see if you wanted to get some breakfast with me. I'm up early because I couldn't sleep. Is that satisfactory?"

"Indeed. I don't usually ask a lot of questions in the morning except when I find men hovering outside my door. Shall we away to the front desk?"

He laughed, unable to help it. "Sure, let's away away."

She swatted his arm as she pulled the door shut behind her. "Do you drink coffee?"

"It's been known to happen, but I don't need it to get going in the morning like some people," he replied. He pressed the elevator button and they waited quietly. "Could you stop yawning?" he finally asked after doing it twice himself. "It's contagious, you know."

"I can't help it," she grumbled. "I'm so tired. I don't want to go to work today." They rode the elevator down to the lobby, Relena struggling to suppress more yawns.

"Why not take a sick day?"

"Doesn't exactly work like that. I'm not pneumatic or anything." She popped her shoulder and headed for the front desk. Trowa loitered near the revolving door while she got recommendations and directions.

They emerged from the building to find that a light drizzle had started, giving the colony a dull gray sheen. "Where is this shop of yours located?" Trowa asked.

"A few streets over," she replied. "It's called One Stop Coffee Shop." She glanced up at him as they walked. "So who or what kept you up all night, hm? You look as tired as I feel." It was a lie; he looked casually handsome in blue jeans and a dark green work shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.

"You're as bad as Catherine," he complained with a grimace.

"I doubt that. It's okay if you don't want to confess." She focused her gaze on the path before her. "There was something I was going to share with you, but if it's quiet time I can accept that."

He groaned in exasperation. "You are the most maddening creature I've ever dealt with. I don't understand why."

"What do you mean?" Relena tried to hide her smile, enjoying his discomfort.

"How can you possibly know me well enough to know exactly what buttons to push to get a reaction?"

The question threw her off guard. "I don't have an answer that will satisfy you."

Trowa bit his lip before saying, "Thinking of you kept me up all night." It was difficult to keep from grinning at the shocked expression on her face, so he didn't try. He resembled the Cheshire Cat.

Her eyes narrowed. "That's not funny."

"I wasn't aware it was supposed to be," he replied, smile fading.

They paused at the beginning of the crosswalk and she passed the time studying his face. "I've never been in a situation like this before." She frowned. "It simply doesn't make sense. Something like this never happens in real life, only cheap romance novels."

He raised one brow. "It's not as though we've fallen in love and are about to elope. What exactly _is_ the situation?"

"No, it isn't," she agreed. "I meant being at this level of comfort after only a few days. I feel like it isn't too difficult to trust you." She shook her head. "I don't think I'm making much sense, but I am trying."

"I think I understand." He tugged on her hand. "Let's cross."

"Right." Their hands remained entwined for the duration of the trip. It made Relena feel giddy inside and she scolded herself for being so silly. "So why were you thinking of me last night?" she asked as they waited in line.

He glanced away from the menu to focus on her. "I was afraid you would leave before I could talk to you."

"Ah. Are you planning on apologizing to me?" Her voice was teasing, but her thoughts were going a mile a minute.

He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Come now, do you really want to know the ending when all you have to do is be patient?"

She pouted, but shook her head. "I can wait. So what are you going to order?" They stepped up to the register and both her and the cashier looked at Trowa expectantly.

"Could I please have the bacon and egg sandwich on a jalapeno-cheddar bagel with a large skim latte?" He looked down at Relena. "And for you?"

"Um, could I have a toasted cinnamon crunch bagel with cream cheese and a large black iced coffee please?" She reached for her wallet, but Trowa put a hand on her wrist, reaching for his own. She shook him off and it became a race to see who would get their credit card out first. Relena was faster by two milliseconds and she slapped the plastic down on the counter, a smile of triumph making her face glow prettily. She signed on the dotted line and they moved aside to wait for their order.

Trowa swept a stray lock of hair from her eyes, his fingers lingering. Her cheeks flooded with warmth, but she made no move to pull away. "I'm paying next time."

"So there's to be a next time?" she asked, lowering her lashes.

"If that's okay with you."

She turned her head to kiss his fingertips. She smiled against them and said, "It's perfectly fine." She was pleased to see the faintest pink tinge his face. Their order was called and they collected their breakfasts. There was no one out on the patio, even though there was an awning protecting it from the light rain. They sat outside, enjoying the quiet. "I don't know when we'll be able to see one another again. My schedule is incredibly busy what with the election coming up in six months. People will expect to see a lot of me." She fought against the sharp pain of anxiety that formed at the thought of not seeing Trowa for that long.

"Schedules change. We can make time," he replied and his confidence was contagious. "You could always run away and join the circus."

"Right," she replied slowly. "I'll let everyone know that effective immediately I am no longer the Vice Minister, but a ticket seller or something."

"Why would you want to be a ticket seller?" he asked, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"I don't have any particular skills to help me perform and I don't want to end up shoveling elephant crap for a living. The obvious, logical choice is ticket seller," she explained.

"You could always be a clown."

"No, I've tried learning how to juggle and I can't. I'm just not coordinated enough."

Trowa chewed a bite of his sandwich thoughtfully. "You could always let Catherine throw knives at you. That would free me up to work with the lions and tigers more."

"You're taking this a little too seriously," she replied and savored the sweetness of her bagel. "There's no way I'd ever be able to actually run away to the circus." Their eyes met. "I'm serious."

"I'm sure you think you are." He gulped down some of his latte. "Anyway, there is something I need to tell you in exchange for telling me whatever it was you were going to."

"Damn, I thought you'd have forgotten," she murmured. "Fine. I agree. What is it?"

He took his hand in both of hers, stroking the back of it gently. "I'm sorry for acting like a jackass at the bar. Honestly, all I can say is that I was a lot drunker than I should have been. It's not an excuse, but it is true. If I had been thinking straight, nothing would have gotten me away from that table without you...unless someone was dying."

Relena felt ridiculously happy to hear him say that, but she couldn't help teasing him. "What if the building was about to collapse or burn down or something?"

His grip tightened. "I wouldn't leave without you."

Emotions were running too high for her to handle. Her eyes began to prick with tears. She couldn't believe this! She snatched her hand away and smacked him lightly. "Damn you, Trowa Barton! You're not allowed to make me feel like such a sap. It's really awful of you!"

He chuckled, not unkindly. "It's only the truth. Time for that trade. What did you have to tell me?"

"I got a visit from Misty last night," she said as casually as she could manage. She sipped at her iced coffee. "She came to apologize."

"No kidding?" Trowa leaned back in his wicker chair. "Was she sincere?"

"It's difficult to tell. I really felt like she was, but I just can't be sure. Something seemed off. We did share a bit of wine though. Maybe that's why it was weird." She decided to refrain from talking about the kiss. It might lead to questions she didn't want to answer. "She was very sweet, for the most part."

"Oh?" Trowa finished off his latte and eyed the other half of Relena's bagel. She rolled her eyes and pushed her plate across to him, drinking more iced coffee.

"She threw in a backhanded compliment or two, but nothing too offensive." She shrugged. "Well. I accept your apology."

"Good. I was hoping you would."

"I find it to be rude not to in most cases. So, how's my bagel?" She glanced at the last bite regretfully. She'd have to go back up to the counter to buy another one. He almost managed to look guilty as the remaining morsel disappeared.

"It was delicious. Thank you so much for sharing." He nodded in her direction. "It was more than I was expecting. You know, Misty went to see Catherine a little before one this morning."

Relena leaned forward. "Misty stopped by a little after midnight. I wonder if she went to see Catherine after seeing me. Heero and Catherine walked in on us at the hotel."

"Walked in on you?" His expression was curious and Relena cursed herself.

"You know, they walked into the room while we were talking. She had just said she was going to leave when they came in. She said good night to everyone and left. It was rather abrupt." She shrugged. "What did she talk to Catherine about?"

"No idea. I overheard their voices as I was walking back from the shower. Catherine sounded agitated. I'm planning on asking her about it after she's been awake for a few hours." He glanced around them, then down at his watch. "It's almost eight. We could go for a short walk before going back to the hotel if you want."

"Sounds good. I'm going to be stuck on a shuttle for ten hours. First I have to buy another bagel and a coffee to take back to Heero." They discarded their trash, collected her new order, and walked out to the sidewalk. "Where to?" She paused to force her drinks into the cardboard holder, grateful the barista had thought to give her one.

"I thought we could go look for that tree house you'd mentioned."

She stared up at him. "You really mean it?"

"Sure." He gestured for her to take the lead. "Where is it?"

"Not too far from your truck, actually." She began walking. "Duo, Hildie and I built it a few years ago, and it's been a little while since we've spent any time there. This is such a great idea. Thanks for suggesting it."

"Curiosity got the best of me," he admitted. "And I thought it would be nice for you to be able to see it before you left." Conversation lapsed unless one of them commented on the direction they were taking. Eventually they found the deceivingly rickety structure. Vines had begun to creep up the walls.

"Wow. It hasn't really changed," Relena said and set her bag and cups on the ground. She shimmied up the rope ladder. Once at the top, she peered over the railing. "You coming up or what?"

Trowa executed a complicated flip that left him gripping the rope halfway up. He climbed the rest of the way with practiced ease and stood beside her seconds later. She rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Showoff," she teased and looked around. "I can't believe the porch is still so sturdy. It wasn't very easy for us to make it stable." She pushed open the door to the tree house. "Maybe you should go first and make sure there are no scary bugs in there."

She looked too serious to be joking, which was mildly surprising. "Sure thing," he said and stepped inside. It was a decent size; he didn't have to slouch or duck. There were a few cobwebs, pollen-green dust coated the windowsills and floor. Other than that, it was in good condition. The roof seemed to be watertight. There was a table and two chairs, though one was knocked another and the other looked as though it had been gnawed on. "Come on in."

Relena stepped in cautiously. "Wow. With a little cleaning, it would be just like before. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. It's only two years old and it's on a colony. The weather doesn't get all that crazy." She smiled. "I half-hoped that some kids would have discovered it and started using it as a clubhouse."

Trowa didn't reply because the top half of his body was outside the window. His thighs and knees soon followed, leaving only his feet resting on the sill. With a little effort those extremities were out of sight seconds later. He maneuvered so that he lay on the roof stomach-side down and gripped the edge so that his head hung in the window. "You should come up here. The view isn't bad," he said.

Relena spun around and tried to make sense of the upside-down head. "How did you manage to get up there?"

"It was easy. I'll help you if you want to join me." He moved out of sight as she came to study the impromptu entryway.

"I think I can manage, but keep an eye on me just in case," she replied and began the awkward climb. Her foot slipped while she struggled for a good grip and Trowa hoisted her up the rest of the way. "Thanks," she panted. When she'd caught her breath she looked around. There wasn't too much to see, mostly the tops of other trees. "Earthy."

"Ha. Yeah."

They sat and Relena pulled her legs up so she could rest her chin on her knees. She leaned her head to one side to see her companion better. "Thanks for coming to see me before I leave."

"You're welcome." It was quiet for a moment before he added, "I look forward to our next meeting."

She laughed. "I'm going to miss you. More than I should, probably."

His smile was dazzling. "I agree." Regretfully, he looked at his watch. "We should get you back now."

"You're right." They made their way back to the ground and cut through the park in record time. Relena was ashamed to find that the coffee was cold. She'd have to pop it in the microwave before she summoned Heero. On second thought...

Inside the elevator, Relena knelt down and removed the lid and straw from her cup, then removed the lid from Heero's. Glancing up to see what floor they were at, she poured the contents of Heero's drink into hers and swirled it around to evenly distribute the ice cubes. "There. It didn't even melt the ice all that much," she announced happily and hid the empty hot cup in her purse.

"What are you doing that for?" Trowa asked.

"I never order hot coffee for myself and he'll probably guess that I let his coffee get cold."

"That borders on paranoia. Also, you could just throw it in that trash can over there."

"Oh, shut up." She threw the cup away and led him through her room to the common room. To their utter astonishment, Heero and Catherine were looking nice and cozy on one of the sofas. They politely avoided staring and Trowa cleared his throat quietly.

The fact that Heero had been caught off guard was hilarious considering the reason, and it was a struggle not to laugh. Somehow Relena managed to hold her tongue. "I brought iced coffee and a bagel for you, Heero. See you in a little while." She took her bagel and left everything else on a side table. She indicated that Trowa should go into her room. Before closing the door she said, "Good morning by the way, Catherine."

Trowa threw the poor woman a pillow to laugh into so that she wouldn't be overheard. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Relena gasped. "Sorry, it's just..." She dissolved into giggles once again. "I don't think I've ever seen Heero look so guilty about something so domestic." She took several deep breaths and began munching on her bagel, grateful she'd packed earlier. Her room wasn't as messy as it could have been. "Are you okay with it all?"

"Yes. Catherine's a grown woman. She's been making her own decisions long before I came into her life. It's just...difficult." Trowa sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Relena offered him a quarter of her bagel, but he shook his head. "Thanks anyway."

"You're welcome." She took a seat beside him.

Heero's voice was heard through the door. "Are you about ready to leave, Minister Dorlain?"

"Yes, Mr. Yuy. Just a minute." Relena turned towards Trowa and wrapped her arms about him, the force of her embrace pushing him back on the bed. Her upper body rested on his as they hugged. "I look forward to our next encounter."

"Me too," he replied and caught her lips in a kiss.

...

Ten minutes later, Heero kicked the door open after receiving no reply. An evil grin graced his features as he realized Relena was in much the same position as he had been earlier. She thought he hadn't heard her laughing. She was wrong.

Revenge was his for the taking.


	9. Chapter 9

Trowa scowled at the television before turning the volume up to drown out the sound of Catherine's voice. She'd been glued to the vidphone for twenty minutes, enjoying her semiweekly chat with Heero. Her younger brother found it to be ridiculously unfair that she had a regular opportunity to talk to her "potential love interest," while he hadn't been able to speak to Relena in over two months. Their schedules always seemed to be at odds and the most contact they managed were short phone messages, generally consisting of things like "hope you're doing well" and "hope to see you soon." Trowa found the exchanges to be slightly depressing.

Heero assured his comrade that Relena was quite unhappy with the situation as well, but that her job was making it impossible for her to get any real free time. Her bodyguard had hinted at possibly kidnapping her for the day again to force her to leave the office. It was a small comfort.

So here he was, watching video clips of several recent speeches she had delivered while campaigning and doing his best to keep from yelling at Catherine to keep it down. He was in her trailer, after all.

She hung up with a happy sigh a moment later and almost skipped into the room. "Trowa, isn't life wonderful?" she sang as she twirled around and plopped down beside him. Her smile faded when she saw his gloomy face. "What's the matter, hon?"

"Nothing," he replied evenly. "Just trying to keep up with current events."

Catherine turned her gaze to the television. "Heero says she's becoming quite cranky about not seeing you." She nudged her brother. "That should make you feel better."

"What will make me feel better is actually seeing her." He sighed. "I don't enjoy feeling so impatient."

"Aw, my little brother is in love," the knife thrower teased in a mild tone.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," he replied. "I still don't know her that well."

"You know, you could always take some time off to go visit her." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "It wouldn't hurt for us to train a substitute target. None of the dangerous routines; just simple ones, of course."

The suggestion helped to lighten his mood. "We'll see," he said with a smile. "Maybe you could teach Misty and accidentally hit her."

"Trowa Barton, you are a wicked man," Catherine announced. "Shame on you. I thought she'd backed off."

"She has, sort of. Instead of pestering me to take her out, she's been trying to talk to me about her 'new intimate friendship' with Relena. It's irritating. And she keeps trying to convince me that they kissed. At least she's been on vacation for the past week. It's been a nice break."

It was the ultimate struggle to maintain a straight face, and his sister was about to fail miserably when Misty interrupted. The Web spinner knocked once before letting herself in. "Hello, you two! Trowa, you're just the person I wanted to see. I just got back a little while ago, and you won't believe who I ran into while I was in Milan!"

"Misty, now is not the best time," Catherine said through clenched teeth.

She laughed. "Nonsense, Cathy. I saw Miss Relena! She was there for some kind of work thing and I convinced her to go shopping with me. It was wonderful! We had such a great time. She bought something for you while we were there, but –"

"I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation. If you'll excuse me," Trowa said icily and pushed past her toward the door.

"Oh, don't go so soon! I was hoping we could compare notes on Relena's kissing techniques." Misty's words froze him in his tracks. He kept his back to her as she kept talking. "There's this little lip nibble that she does and it just drives me crazy. How about you?" The Web spinner grinned maliciously as she added, "I'll bet she's a little spitfire in bed. Who do you think will manage to get her there first?"

"I don't know what you're trying to achieve by spouting all this bullshit, but I think it's time for you to leave," Catherine announced. "I will remove you by force if it comes down to it."

Misty sighed. "How could you say something like that to me when you know exactly where Relena and I stand? You _did_ witness our brief intimacy, after all." She caught the look on Trowa's face and offered a demure smile. "Oh, did she not tell you? I'm sure Relena had her reasons for keeping it from you, Trowa." She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I'm pretty sure she's more interested in me than you." Raising her voice she asked, "When's the last time you talked to her, anyway? Oh, right. You haven't." The Web spinner sashayed out the door.

Trowa turned on Catherine and for the first time in their years together she was scared of him. He crossed his arms and balled his hands into fists. "Was she telling the truth?" he demanded, his voice like the calm before a storm.

"You don't understand," she replied. "Relena was –"

"Is it true?" he shouted and she cringed away from him, biting her lip to keep from crying.

"Yes, damn it, it's true, but it's not what you think! Don't ruin this for both of you by jumping to conclusions," Catherine snarled.

"Why?" He looked so confused and hurt that she couldn't resist pulling him into a hug. He began to wrap his arms around her when his phone _ding_ed, indicated a text message. As he pulled it from his pocket, it made the same noise three more times. He accessed the messages to find pictures.

One was Misty and Relena standing before the _Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle_, another of them inside the _Duomo di Milano_. The third and fourth pictures were shocking. One was of Relena laying belly-down on a table, a white sheet covering the lower half of her body. The top half was obviously devoid of clothing, but nothing could be seen other than her turned head smiling shyly at the camera. The next picture had Relena in a sitting position, one hand stretched out as though to take the camera or block her face. Her other hand struggled to keep her naked body covered by the sheet, but didn't quite manage. Both of her breasts were bared, though one was blocked partly by the slipping sheet and the other by the hand reaching out. A look of sheer panic was etched on her face.

Losing his temper, he threw his phone at the wall. On impact, the flip phone broke in half. When the bottom half hit the floor, the back panel and battery flew off and ricocheted off a chair leg. Catherine had glimpsed the pictures and this time she did start to cry. Heero had told her Relena had ran into Misty the day before and spent time with her, and asked that she not tell Trowa because Relena wanted to. "Oh, Trowa, I'm so sorry," she wept. "It can't be what you think. Relena isn't like that. She just isn't."

"And how do you know her so damned well, hm? Have you been fooling around with her as well?" he demanded angrily.

Catherine slapped him across the face. His eyes widened and he raised a hand to his stinging cheek. "Get a grip, will you? You're _scaring_ me," she implored. "And that last comment was really unfair."

"I – I'm sorry." He picked up the pieces of his ruined phone and collapsed on the sofa. "What have I done?"

"Nothing you haven't done before, although not for the same reason," Catherine replied with a wry smirk. "Let me have your memory card so I can put it in my phone and look at the pictures." He did as she commanded and she studied the pictures. "These last two pictures were taken at a spa. They were probably sharing a room for a massage," she announced.

"How can you tell it's a spa room?" he asked.

"For starters, beds with a hole for you to rest your face in are most commonly found in massage parlors or tanning lounges. Secondly, look at the collection of aromatherapy oils and the special diffusers. Yet another indication that it's probably a spa," she replied. Trowa nodded in agreement and she let a small smile of amusement show. "And the most telling clue of all, the plaque above Relena's table says "Spa Luxe di Milano, Decadent Suite II."

Her brother frowned. "I suppose that explains it, but why didn't she mention Misty visiting in her last message?"

"Heero told me over the phone that Relena ran into Misty yesterday after her breakfast meeting and that they spent the day together. I was asked not to say anything to you because she wanted to mention it in her next message to you," Catherine said.

"It doesn't cover the kiss. Relena mentioned you and Heero walking in on her and Misty. I thought the wording was strange, but she didn't say anything to me about it."

"Maybe she was afraid of your reaction. In any case, it is true, but she said Misty instigated and that it came out of the blue. I found the timing to be a little too convenient, but we all just put it to Misty being weird and thought nothing else of it." She shrugged. "Don't read too much into it, Trowa. If you have questions you need to talk to Relena instead of driving yourself crazy with what-ifs and potential misinformation."

"I'm really beginning to despise that Web spinner," he replied through clenched teeth. "If you'll excuse me, I need some time to think."

"Don't hate her," she called after him. "Or me."

"Never you," he said.

…

He locked the door to his trailer and pulled out the drawer that contained his shirts. He rooted to the bottom and pulled out a bottle of tequila. Thinking about everything was too much to handle while sober, he decided. He poured himself a shot and raised the glass to his reflection. "This whole situation is becoming FUBAR," he announced cheerfully and downed it.

…

The door creaked open slowly and cautious steps were taken toward the fallen body. With a slight grunt of effort, the living corpse was raised and placed on the bed, then stripped down to boxers. Covering the body with a blanket, the intruder nodded and sat at the small table, awaiting consciousness to be regained.

Twenty games of solitaire later, that state was achieved with a great deal of groaning and coughing. Trowa opened his eyes and tried to focus on the blonde entity before him. "Who the hell are you?" Suddenly the room was spinning and he had to block out the light. His arm was not enough.

"Oh, Trowa, what have you done to yourself this time?" Quatre's voice radiated waves of soothing calm that acted as a balm on his throbbing head. He dimmed the lights to ease Trowa's painful headache.

"You don't want to know," he slurred and pulled a pillow over his face. "Made an ass of myself in front of Catherine, for starters. She called you, yeah?"

"True. She was worried." The young billionaire hooked his finger through the glass loop that served as a handle for the jug-sized bottle of tequila. "You finish this off by yourself?"

"Nah, only a quarter of it was left," Trowa confessed, pulling the pillow away so he could breathe freely. "I feel like death warmed over."

"You don't look much better." Quatre soaked a washcloth in the small basin Catherine had provided and wrung it out before laying it over his friend's forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed and gripped the mattress on either side of him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The Silent Soldier realized that he really _did _want to tell someone everything. So he did. It took a little while, but his friend was an attentive and patient listener. "What do you think?"

"Let me ask you a question." Quatre stretched his legs out before crossing one over the other. "Do you care about Relena? I mean really _care_. Is she a person you would want to have in your life, even if it did turn out that she was more interested in Misty than you?"

It was quiet for a long while before Trowa said, "Yes."

"Then you should give her a chance to explain instead of jumping to conclusions as Catherine suggested, especially considering the source of your information. You didn't handle the situation with Misty very well and this may be her way of getting revenge." Quatre held up his hands. "This is pure speculation. All I'm trying to say is have a little faith."

"I'm not used to feeling this conflicted. Especially when trying to wrap my head around things while suffering from a hangover."

The Prince of the Desert flashed a wide smile. "Welcome to the world of love, my friend. A bitch to deal with, but every once in a while you get something good out of it."

"Speaking of which, how are you doing? We haven't spoken in a while." Trowa sat up and shifted so that Quatre could sit beside him.

"Business is booming. Plans for a new colony cluster are in the works and we'll probably begin construction once the finishing touches are put on the last Martian colony, which should be in a few weeks. Dorothy passed the Bar a few months ago and she has taken over as head for our legal department, much to my relief. It's a good feeling to know that I have a trustworthy, competent person in charge."

"You didn't trust the person in charge before?" Trowa cracked his knuckles.

"No." Quatre hesitated before saying, "There was an incident a few months back. We managed to keep it quiet from the media, thank goodness. What a fiasco that would have been. Look, I know I shouldn't have to ask this of you, but if I tell you what happened, I need to know that I have your silence." He flushed as he pulled a small slip of paper from his wallet. "Dorothy insists that I carry these around – just in case, she says. It's a non-disclosure agreement. If you could sign it?"

"Of course. And don't worry," the circus performer added after seeing the embarrassment and worry in his friend's eyes. "I take no offense. You wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"Sometimes I wonder who's the real empath around here," Quatre teased.

Trowa shook his head in dry amusement as he signed on the dotted line. "If it was me, I wouldn't be in the dark about certain things. Apparently I'm not as good at reading people as I used to be." He handed the paper back. "So. On with your tale."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, but there was an assassination attempt."

"And I assume you were the target?"

"But of course." He smiled in a self-deprecating way. "I don't mean to sound arrogant, but it isn't so surprising. When father died, I didn't just inherit his business. He also left me most of the family fortune, leaving only paltry sums to my sisters. Unfortunately, I am worth a lot of money." He sighed. "I'm not close to most of my sisters, so I should have known there would be bitterness and enmity, but I never expected any of them to try and kill me because of it."

Trowa stood on unsteady legs and checked the water level in the kettle before lighting the stove. "Did you discover who set up the attempt?"

The blonde man laughed humorlessly. "It was a group of them. Eight, to be exact. Murder was only one of their goals. They were also working to discredit the business and embezzle as much as they could before getting caught."

"I'm sorry. That's...that's rough."

"Well, it comes with the territory. I'm just glad to be alive. Their assassin was a terrible shot and not good at hand-to-hand combat, either."

Trowa's eyes widened. "_You_ took on your assassin?" He laughed. "I'm sorry to be so surprised, but it's difficult to picture you winning a fistfight."

Quatre pouted. "I still have my boxing trophy, you know. Although I guess I should admit that I didn't exactly take him out." He blushed, glaring at the taller man. "I _would_ have done it if I hadn't been stuck."

"Well, who took him out then?"

"Dorothy," the heir admitted and scowled when more laughter ensued. "It was her fault I was stuck in the first place. If she hadn't been in such a hurry to get my shirt off, I wouldn't have gotten tangled in the sleeves and..." He cut himself off, clearing his throat. "Anyway, she stabbed him through the temple with a letter opener and that was that."

Trowa winced. "She always did creep me out. And why exactly was she trying to get your shirt off?" He raised a brow and busied himself with preparing the teapot. "Last I heard, you were with Renee."

"Err, that came to a quick end when I discovered she was trying to make friends with my bank account through me." He shook his head. "I'm still naïve, I'm afraid."

"So you ended up with Dorothy, of all people?" He poured hot water over the loose leaves in the tea pot and replaced the lid, allowing the tea to steep.

"She was originally hired as a secretary for one of the lower management offices, but when it came to their attention that she had a certain knack for understanding finance and law with ease, they drew up a proposal basically suggesting that the company pay for her schooling and in return she would sign a contract binding her to the Winner Corporation exclusively for fifteen years afterward.

"Dorothy had been married and divorced by the time she came to work for us and she hadn't bothered to change her married name back to her maiden name, so I didn't recognize that it was her on paper. The proposal intrigued me, and I must say that I was stunned to find that it was her, especially since she hadn't done any name-dropping to get the job." Quatre shrugged. "We started spending more time together, to catch up more than any other reason, and one thing led to another over time. Once she started going to school, we saw one another much less often. She would come to the colonies to work during her summer breaks, but the rest of the time she was on Earth."

He accepted the cup Trowa handed him and took a sip before continuing. "We became very fond of each other. I won't go into wanton details, I will only say that our physical intimacy progressed parallel to our emotional intimacy. After not seeing each other for nearly four months, I'd say it's understandable as to why she would be in such a hurry to get my clothing off. Things may have worked out differently if her back had been to the door instead of mine."

Trowa nodded and drank his tea. "Interesting story. I'm glad you've found someone that will make you happy. But aren't you even a little suspicious of her? People don't change over time, Quatre, only their habits."

"We've all done our share of bad things in the past, I won't make excuses for her. I really do trust her. She has plenty of her own money, so I know she isn't after mine."

"It doesn't bother you that she's been married and divorced?" He wasn't trying to pick a fight; he was genuinely curious.

"It was an arranged marriage with little love lost between them. I did some homework on the subject, and not just the public records. I hacked into her family's secure storage and found plenty of data that supported her story and the public records." Quatre fought a vague sense of guilt for his sneakiness, reminding himself that she would have done the same if he had told her a story like that. "There is nothing for her to gain by being deceitful and besides, is it really so terrible for me to want to believe her?"

It was a question that Trowa could easily turn on himself and he shrugged. "No, it isn't. I just like to be reassured that my friends are doing well in all aspects of their life. There is a lot of bad out there, Quatre. It's hard not to get caught up in it sometimes."

Quatre patted his shoulder. "You don't need to tell me that, my friend. Promise me the next time you need help with something you'll call me instead of getting drunk? For some reason, it's always the quiet ones that get into the most trouble, and you're the quietest person I know."

Trowa laughed. "What happens if I need to talk about something at three in the morning?"

"Call away," his friend exclaimed. "It would certainly break up the monotony of phone calls I suffer through already. So. Hungry?"

"Starved."

"Take away?"

"Definitely."


	10. Chapter 10

_Just a hint of lime._

Heero tried to get a good look into Relena's office, but her door was only slightly cracked so he couldn't see much. He turned his attention to her secretary. "Is she in?"

"Hm?" Marsha looked away from her computer monitor, but refocused after identifying him. "Oh, it's you." She jerked one thumb over her shoulder. "Yeah, she's sulking like a kid in time out. If you're going to try to rally her spirits or whatever, could you give her these documents? They need to be signed and dated or vetoed with an explanation before she goes home today. Special request from the Prime Minister." She held a folder up and waited for Heero to take it, flashing him a brief smile. "Thanks, you're a peach."

"Right." The bodyguard accepted the folder and resisted the urge to skim through the pages within. He paused outside the door. "You going to ask her if she can be bothered?"

Marsha laughed. "The indignation at my audacity of not consulting her before sending you in will be good for her, don't you agree?" She waved him on. "Get in there and get her sorted out, will you? There is work to be done, sir."

He gave her a mock bow before entering Relena's office and shutting the door behind him. The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs sat behind her desk, one hand propping up her chin as she stared at the clock with a distant expression on her face. She made no indication that she was aware of his presence.

A plate of french fries and half a gyro swimming in tzatziki sauce was before her and his stomach rumbled quietly at the sight. He started forward slowly, wondering how many fries he would get to eat before she noticed. "Help yourself to the fries, but touch my gyro and you'll be asking for it," Relena warned three steps later. Her eyes never left the clock, which meant she didn't see Heero jump slightly at the sound of her voice.

"I come bearing a gift from the higher ups," he announced and took a seat in one of two vacant chairs before her desk. He slapped the folder down on the mahogany surface. "Your secretary kindly asked me to tell you that they have to be signed or vetoed with an explanation before you leave today."

Relena sighed and tore her eyes away from the clock to focus on the folder. She used her free hand to flip it open. She scowled as she read the first page. "I swear, my job title must be synonymous with waste management."

"That's why you get paid the big bucks, sweetest," Heero replied around a mouth full of fries.

"Don't get cute with me, mister." She searched for her favorite fountain pen and twirled it in her fingers as she skimmed the rest of the documents. "Do you think it would be in bad taste for me to just write 'denied' in capital letters on the front of the folder with the explanation saying 'you're all bloody idiots that need to stop wasting my time and the taxpayers' money?'"

"I would support you one hundred percent, Vice Minister, but I doubt the important people of the universe would appreciate it," he said. "If there's one thing politicians hate, it's the truth."

She raised her eyebrows. "That's pretty harsh. Politicians are not all bad." She turned her attention to the documents that needed signing.

"So what are they asking for today?" Heero leaned back in his seat and propped his feet up on her desk. She stared at the soles of his shoes before pushing them off with her pen.

"Do you mind? I just polished it this morning," she grumbled. "Let's see. The first request is for permission to build a space station amusement park outside of colony Z652 to help stimulate their economy. The second is a petition to allow anacondas to be kept as house pets." She clenched her hands into fists to keep from ripping the documents into tiny pieces. "The rest are just as ridiculous. These are things that need to be sorted out by local governments, not me. I bet these were addressed to the PM and he assigned the task of going through them to me so that he wouldn't have to. That's how things work around here sometimes."

Heero stood and came around to her side of the desk. She had put her hair up in a French twist, saving him the trouble of having to push it out of the way. He cracked his knuckles and began massaging her shoulders. "You need to relax."

"I know," she replied and drew in a sharp breath when one of his thumbs dug into a particularly painful spot. He continued to rub at the knot dutifully until the tension drained from her. "So, should we watch a movie tonight?"

Her bodyguard winced slightly, grateful she couldn't see him. "Actually, I was going to ask you who you would like as a replacement guard tonight," he said.

She twisted her head to look up at him. "Again? And where will you be going this evening?"

"Catherine and I are meeting in Toulon. She has friends that live there."

"Oh. Has she taken time away from the circus? Going all the way to Toulon from America for one day would be kind of silly." Relena's curious smile faded when she saw the uncertainty written on Heero's face. "What is it?"

"They're touring in Andorra La Vella currently. I thought you knew," he said quietly and held back an exasperated sigh when her eyes teared up. He spun her chair so that she was facing him and pulled her into a hug. "Trowa didn't tell you?"

"No," she sniffled. "I haven't heard from Trowa in three and a half weeks. He hasn't responded to any of my messages. I thought he was just busy, but now I'm starting to think he's upset with me. What did I do wrong?"

"I can ask Catherine if she knows anything about it," he suggested.

"That won't be necessary. Thanks for the offer, but I would rather find out myself." She pushed away from him and wiped at her eyes. "Could you see if Kensington is available for duty tonight? If not, pick whoever you think is competent enough."

"Sure." Heero patted her on the head as she turned back to reviewing the paperwork before her. "Are you sure it's okay for me to go out tonight? I can cancel."

"Absolutely not! Don't worry about me, I just need to get a grip." She gave him a brave smile. "See? All better. So...this is going to be the fifth date you've gone on in a month. That's pretty serious, huh?"

"I guess so." Heero shrugged. "I enjoy her company."

Her intercom buzzed and Marsha's voice was smug. "Minister Dorlain, Mr. Winner is here for your four o'clock appointment. Shall I let him through?"

Relena glanced at Heero and he nodded. "Certainly. And Marsha, I would appreciate it if you would consult with me in the future as to whether or not Mr. Yuy is allowed in my office. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Miss Relena."It was obvious the secretary was holding back a laugh. "I'll send Mr. Winner in now. Will you be needing coffee or biscuits?"

"I'll get back to you on that." Relena turned the speaker off and sighed. "Will you be coming home tonight?"

Heero coughed in response to the blunt question. "It depends."

"Just wondering. Tell Catherine I said hello, won't you?"

"Of course." He exited the room, exchanging a brief greeting with Quatre as the head of the Winner Corporation entered the office.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Winner," Relena greeted formally. The blonde man rolled his eyes and smiled, coming to stand beside her chair. She accepted his hand and he pulled her out of the chair and into a hug.

"How is my favorite politician today?" he asked and took a seat. "Campaigning away?"

"Mmm, a little bit. Kimberly Pontrali is doing most of the work for me at the moment. Business is booming, I hope?"

"Of course, and will be for quite some time, if all goes well with the plans to expand civilization to Juipter's moons." He leaned forward. "I hear Catherine and Heero are becoming quite the couple."

Relena laughed. "Yeah, that's the rumor. Heero likes her a lot. They're actually meeting up tonight. Apparently the circus is in Andorra La Vella."

"And how about your own love life?" Quatre asked with a mischievous grin.

"I wouldn't say that I have one," she replied carefully.

It didn't take an empath to see that the question bothered her. "Things are not well between you and Trowa?"

She shook her head. "I shouldn't be surprised that you've heard something about us, although I don't know that there is _anything_ going on with us. I haven't heard from him in almost a month. He didn't even tell me that they would be sort of near to us. I wouldn't have known if Heero hadn't said something."

Quatre repressed a sigh of exasperation. "If I were you I would take this opportunity to barge in on him and demand some answers." He checked his watch and grimaced. "I have to get going. Duty calls and all that."

"Are you sure you don't want to help me go through all of these wonderful requests, deciding which to grant and which to shred into little pieces?" Relena asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

"You are, as always, almost too charming to resist. If it wasn't for Dorothy threatening to maim me if I'm late for dinner again, of course I would stay and help you." He winked.

It earned him a genuine laugh from her as well as a hug."Thank you. There are too few good men in this universe and I'm so glad that I know at least one." She kissed his cheek in farewell. "Tell Dorothy to give me a call. It's been too long since the last time we spoke and I'd love to see her again."

"I'm sure you'll be receiving some sort of invitation from her within a week when I tell her that. For whatever reason, you are one of her favorite people." Quatre caught her private smile and wondered what fond memory had been conjured, but didn't pry. "Fare thee well, princess."

"You too. Now get out so I can get through this crap they call work," she ordered laughingly.

Thirty minutes later, the folder was back on Marsha's desk and Relena was making her way to the Preventers garage. Luck was on her side. Wufei's motorcycle was parked several meters away from one of the new all-terrain rescue vehicles. She didn't see him until she tripped over the pair of legs sticking out from under the ATV, her arms catching her so that she looked as though she were about to do a set of push-ups.

"Fancy meeting you here," Wufei greeted dryly as she smiled at him sheepishly. "Mind getting off my legs?"

"I have a favor to ask of you," she replied and stood. He pushed himself out from under the ATV and sighed.

"Where have I heard that before? Oh, right. When you twisted my arm into training you." He frowned.

"Wow, Mr. Grouchy. Bad day at the office or what?" She rested a hand on her hip. "I need a ride to Andorra La Vella, and I need to get there as fast as possible. I was wondering if I could borrow a vehicle from you."

He followed her gaze to his precious motorcycle. He nearly blanched. "Absolutely not."

"Oh, come on. I have my license and everything!" she pleaded, clasping her hands before her in a gesture of begging. "I'll be careful, I promise! It's really, really important."

"Relena, aside from being female, which is already points against you when it comes to driving, you've had that license for three months and you've used a motorcycle how many times since?"

"None," she admitted angrily. "It's not like I'm the one that totaled a car when I sneezed, is it?"

He glared at her and she smiled winningly. "That was low and dirty."

"I'm a politician, I'm allowed to be low and dirty." She sighed. "Can I at least borrow the Ferrari?"

Wufei appraised the young woman before him. It was obvious that she would do whatever it took to get to her destination as quickly as possible. He would feel awful if something happened to her because he refused to help. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything he had going on...

"Fine, I'll drive you," he announced as though it was a terrible burden. He strode toward the motorcycle and tossed her a helmet. "You hold on tight, wear your helmet, and for my sake don't criticize my driving."

"You got it." She waited until he was astride the monster of a bike and positioned herself behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you," she yelled over the deafening rumble.

"You're welcome."

…

A little shiver traveled up Catherine's spine when Heero rested his hand on her knee under the table. She tried to keep a silly grin off her face and took another sip of wine, trying not to appear completely lost as she struggled to follow the conversation about the physics behind the construction of wormhole generators. Her fear that Heero would have nothing in common with her longtime friend Mikhail had proven to be irrational. It turned out that aside from having extensive knowledge of sciences and math, they had both read a series of books by Peter F. Hamilton and were obsessed with the technologies described.

Her eyes met Kopal's and they shared a good-natured grimace. She was tempted to ask Heero if they could switch places so that she could be adjacent to Mikhail's girlfriend instead of across. In order for them to have a conversation, they would have to shout across the table to be heard over their dates. Kopal lifted one shoulder in a shrug and made a 'What can you do?' gesture with her wine glass.

Catherine tapped her fingers against Heero's hand to get his attention. He offered her a distracted smile as he tried to talk to her and still listen to Mikhail.

"What do you need?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Mikhail beat her to it. "Honey, would you mind switching places with me so I can hear what Heero is saying better? It's too damned loud in here," he complained to his girlfriend.

"Of course." The couple rearranged themselves and Kopal sipped at her wine, offering Catherine an amusingly lecherous grin. "Wherever did you find that delicious piece of eye candy? He's an absolute doll."

The knife thrower laughed. "He's a friend of my brother."

"You are _so_ bad!" Kopal snickered. "Isn't there some sort of rule about dating your brother's friends?"

"I think that only applies to older ones." Catherine smirked. "And to be honest, I think he knows that if he sticks his nose in my business, I'll stick mine in his," she added. "Although sometimes I wonder if he wants my help with his problem."

"Ooh, you know I'm a sucker for gossip. What's been going on?" Kopal leaned forward conspiratorially and gestured to the waiter that they would be needing more wine. Catherine gave a slight frown and glanced in Heero's direction. He was still completely caught up in his discussion with Mikhail. It was probably safe to tell a little bit about what was going on as long as she didn't mention Relena specifically.

"He fancies a young woman that he met a few months ago. Personally, I think she's the bee's knees. She makes him laugh. I think he genuinely enjoys her company." Catherine stole a bite of Heero's _pot de crème_. She deciced to be just a little bit naughtier and continued, "Not to mention he gets rather cranky when he doesn't get to speak with her after a few days."

Kopal raised a brow and savored her own taste of _clafoutis_. "That is quite an accomplishment. I think I'd like to meet her. Anyone that can affect Trowa just has to be interesting. So what's the issue?" She sampled a sliver of her boyfriend's crepe cake.

"He hasn't spoken to her in almost a month." Catherine drank more wine and shook her head. "He's fucking stubborn, excuse my language."

"What happened?" Kopal continued to steal bits of Mikhail's cake. It reminded Catherine of someone eating popcorn at the movies.

"Competition. _Female_ competition."

"Now it gets interesting," her listener murmured. "Is this young lady a lesbian, or maybe bisexual?"

Catherine sighed. "I'm fairly certain that she isn't a lesbian. She's made out with Trowa at least once that I know of. On the other hand, I have seen her kissing another woman, though apparently it was involuntary."

"Goodness, darling! Is he aware of that?"

The knife thrower grimaced. "He shouldn't be, not with how he found out." She explained about Misty's hurtful confession and the photos that were meant to be incriminating.

"What a horrible bitch," Kopal nearly yelled, her voice loud enough to attract the table of business men nearby. She waved her hand in an indifferent apology. "Why don't you knock some sense into her like back in the day."

"If it were back in the day, I wouldn't hesitate. You know how things change." She stole another bite of Heero's _pot de crème _before he sent a warning glare her way. She did her best to look meek while savoring the delicious tradition of France. "Anyway, he's been selfishly parading around like he's been victimized and wallowing in self-pity. I told him that he needs to suck it up and go talk to her. He owes her that much. She was becoming nuts about him."

"I don't know that I have any advice to offer. Does she know what's happened?" Kopal narrowed her eyes as Catherine shook her head slowly. "If you think she's so wonderful, why haven't you told her?"

"Don't look at me like that," she pleaded. "I wasn't sure if I should get involved. I promised her I wouldn't tell Trowa about the kiss because she wanted to speak with him privately. She would have to know that I confirmed what Misty told him. Lying to Trowa would have been far worse than telling the truth." Her eyes were troubled. "What should I do?"

Kopal grinned suddenly and downed her glass of wine in one swallow. "Good heavens, woman, whip that poor lost soul back into shape. You coddle the boy. Time to show him that backbone of steel you've been hiding from him."

Catherine's mouth pouted prettily as she glared at her friend. "I've spent a lot of time and effort making sure that Trowa doesn't have any idea what kind of backbone I'm hiding."

"You don't have to do anything drastic. All I'm suggesting is putting your rank as older sister to some good use. If a little backbone slips out in the process, it will hardly be a big deal. Just his big sister acting like a huge pain in the ass."

"I hate it when you make sense." She finished her wine and looked up when Heero tugged on her hand. Mikhail was attempting to win Kopal's attention. "What's wrong?"

"They're closing," he replied. "We paid the bill over an hour ago. You and Kopal seemed to be having an important conversation, so we decided to turn our talk to the possibility of traveling at speeds faster than light."

"You are such a closet geek," she teased warmly and followed him out into the salty night air. The two couples stood in a loose circle under a street lamp. "Well, I'm so glad I was able to see you guys. We'll be in Andorra for a few more days. Come visit, if you can make it." Goodbyes were exchanged and then Heero was walking Catherine to his car.

"Thank you for coming to dinner with us. It means a lot to me," she told him. "And for giving me a ride back. I know it's out of the way."

He leaned against the side of his car and smirked in that charming way she had come to love. "It wasn't particularly challenging to get through dinner and I don't have a curfew, so giving you a ride isn't a problem."

"That doesn't mean you'll go unrewarded," she promised with an innocent grin, licking her lips.

Heero rolled his eyes. "I don't spend time with you for the sole purpose of causing you to feel indebted to me. I do it because I like you."

"I know." She forced the smile to stay on her face. Either he was bad at reading between the lines or her attempts at flirting were too subtle. He seemed unable to tell that her attempts at playful banter were not to be taken seriously. She ran her hands up his chest, around his neck, then laced her fingers behind his head. "You earned one anyway."

She drew his head to hers and with movements slow and deliberate, sucked his lower lip between her teeth and applied the gentlest pressure with her tongue, tasting him at her leisure. Her pretense of control crumbled when he pulled her body flush with his, hands busy learning her curves. He returned the kiss with enthusiasm, letting his tongue brush against her curiously. She sighed happily, pouting when he finally pulled his gorgeous mouth away from hers.

He focused on regulating his breathing. Catherine, on the other hand, panted slightly from the abrupt withdrawal of such tantalizing feelings. "Why'd you stop?"

"I was beginning to lose any semblance of restraint and I decided you would appreciate it if I didn't try to coerce you into having sex in a parking lot, even if it is dark," he answered.

She pulled out of his embrace and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The mention of sex sobered her to an alert level that bordered on panic. Heero studied her with a slight frown. "I'm sorry. I was only teasing you."

Her grip relaxed fractionally and she shook her head, wine muddling her thoughts. "No, I know. It's just...bad memories surfaced. I've been through difficult times before." She met his eyes. "I've been hurt. Physically. Badly. I've gotten better about things, but I haven't had an intimate relationship in years. I'm sorry. I should have told you."

Heero's face had transformed into a cold, angry mask and Catherine's brain reminded her that he had earned the nickname of Perfect Soldier. "Who hurt you?" His voice was hard and it would have sent her running if she'd thought for one second that his anger was directed at her. She placed a hand on his arm.

"Like I said, it was years ago. Before you guys fell from space." She breathed deep, willing herself to meet his eyes again. "They're dead. They were sentenced to fifty years in prison, but other inmates killed them two days after they were were taken out of isolation. Sodomized and beaten to death, is what the papers reported."

He stared at her, unsure of what to say. Fifty years was a hefty sentence. He didn't want to imagine what they must have done to deserve that. "How many were there?"

"Victims or offenders?" She allowed her arms to relax at her sides. "There were five men. Three teenage girls, including me. A boy just over the age of eleven." Her voice was dull. "They killed him. I helped Sadia escape from the house so that she could go to get help. She committed suicide before the trial."

He pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on her head. "I don't know what to say."

She shrugged, her voice muffled. "The government helped me more than I was expecting. Hospital bills, therapy, disability checks. The circus thought I'd run away until the media found out what had happened. They took me back in like nothing changed. For that, I'm grateful. It's tiring to have people walk on eggshells around you all the time." She pulled away so that he could see her smile. "I'm okay now. Really. Just a bad moment."

"Trowa really doesn't know?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No need. I haven't even thought about what happened since the end of the wars. Well, until now." She studied him closely. "Still wanna be my boyfriend?"

He grinned down at her. "It will take more than a closely guarded secret to keep me away from you at this point." She started to reply, but he kissed her until she forgot to breathe. She felt light-headed and tingly. He escorted her to the passenger side of the car and held the door open as she maneuvered inside. He got in and turned the key. The engine roared. "Shall I take you home now?"

She slid across the bench seat to cozy up next to him. "I'm not expected back until tomorrow." She poked his nose. "And you don't have a curfew."

For the first time, Heero looked quite uncertain. "What exactly are you saying?" he asked in a low voice. "It's important that you be specific. There shouldn't be any miscommunication between us."

"I want to spend the night with you," she said simply.

"Catherine," he sighed. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I haven't been intimate with anyone since Sylvia, and after what you've just told me..." He trailed off. His body was begging him to get to a hotel as fast as possible, but his more rational side was actually becoming scared.

"I wasn't planning on jumping your bones tonight," she said, sounding almost offended in a teasing way. "I'm not shallow enough to think that I'm the only fragile one here. If you want to take me home, I won't protest or be offended. I only suggested it because it's what I honestly want."

He shook his head and marveled at the woman before him. "How can you have any trust after what happened?" He was genuinely curious.

"My trust for you is instinctive." She shrugged. "Ball's in your court."

"I have to make a few arrangements for work," he said as they drove to the nicest hotel in the area.

"But of course." Catherine smiled at him, thinking that it wouldn't be hard to fall in love with the man next to her.

Not hard at all.

…

Wufei was probably still sitting in that sweet little coffee shop reading a book, Relena decided sourly. She hunched her shoulders up, a wasted effort at keeping dry as she struggled to keep from shivering as she walked. The former pilot had tried to persuade her to allow him to drive her to the circus grounds, but no. Stubbornness was innate within her. She had feared that the sound of the motorcycle approaching would warn Trowa of her arrival. She wanted him to be taken utterly by surprise.

Foolish, so foolish. With this torrential downpour he would have been hard-pressed to hear anything other than the land drowning. She shook her head and trudged onward, sure she looked like a drowned rat. Her cashmere duster sweater was soaked through thirty seconds after the rain started. The long jacket clung to her pants, forcing the material to soak up more water quicker. At least her knee high leather boots had good soles. Her lace and silk camisole didn't stay dry long under the dripping sweater, adhering to her like a second skin.

She pushed dripping strands of hair out of her eyes and wondered how much longer it would take her to reach the circus. The woman working in the coffee shop had said it was located about a third of a kilometer away. It hadn't seemed so far when it was dry.

Sighing, Relena turned her thoughts to Heero and Catherine. Hopefully they were having a wonderful time tonight. They probably were. He was absolutely crazy for her, even if he didn't want to admit it. She thought hard about Heero, willing some of his happiness to rub off on her so that tonight might go well for her too.

"Oh, crap! He's going to be furious," she gasped aloud when she realized that she hadn't told Kensington that she wouldn't need her services until much later at night. She started to open her bag, but hesitated. It was waterproof on the outside, but the inside was vulnerable. Was it worth finding her phone? She squinted into the rain, still only able to see four meters ahead of her, but she thought she could make out a row of trailers.

As she closed the distance, she saw her brain had interpreted the sight correctly. She broke into a sprint, mindful of the driving rain only in a vague way. Her excitement to be so close to Trowa was the dominant emotion now. Discomfort was almost forgotten. She ran down the line, passing Catherine's. Her gait slowed as she debated stopping in to say hello, but she ultimately decided her original destination was more important.

His caravan was parked at the very end of the row. She splashed through a puddle-turned-pond and stood at the foot of the steps, looking up at the cheerful red door she hadn't seen in so long. A shaky hand grabbed the banister and she began her ascent. Her fingers curled into a fist, arm lifted to knock on the door.

"Relena, is that you?" Jasmina called. The woman's surprise was so great that she turned too quickly and lost her footing. She slid down the steps, landing hard on her bottom. She winced and stood, wiping mud from her sweater. "Are you okay?" the tightrope walker asked. "That was a pretty nasty fall."

"I'm okay," she replied and studied the teenage girl before her. "You're Jasmina, right? Raven's sister?" Trowa was tutoring her in geometry.

"That's right. You're soaked! Did you walk here or something?" Jasmina maneuvered so that her umbrella covered them both.

"It was nice out when I started," Relena muttered. "I'm looking for Trowa."

Jasmina grinned. "Thank goodness for that! He's been acting like a drama queen."

The Vice Minister gave her a startled look. "Why is that?"

"He broke his phone and he's too stupid to ask anyone if he can use theirs." The tightrope walker laughed. "I was heading to my trailer so I can study for a test. Do you want to borrow some clothes? I can let you into his caravan after that. He entrusted me with the spare key. Lucky me, huh?" She held out her hand and helped Relena to her feet.

"Thank you. You're very kind for a teenager."

Jasmina laughed again. "I probably wouldn't be if I went to public school like everybody else," she replied.

Her trailer was only three down from Trowa's. It was large compared to the others, although this one housed her family of four. "Mom and dad say that's going to change soon," she said, pushing Relena into the bathroom with a towel. "They're tired of us arguing all the time, or so they say. I think it's because they want more alone time. We don't fight as much as other siblings." Her voice rose as she walked to her dresser to choose clothing for the drowned rat in the bathroom. She pulled out a short denim skirt and a soft, clingy hooded shirt.

Jasmina shoved the clothing through the small gap and waited. Relena eyed the ensemble with dismay, but kept her tone grateful, which she was. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

The teenager sighed in disappointment. She'd been eager to have the Vice Minister freak out about the outfit she had chosen, but it was now obvious that the woman was just as polite and well-mannered in person as she was on television. It wasn't all that surprising.

She wolf-whistled when Relena emerged from the bathroom in her now getup, toweling her hair. The older woman frowned. "You could have picked something more appropriate. I'm not necessarily here to seduce him, you know."

"Well, he doesn't know that. It adds to the shock value. He's not expecting you, is he?"

"Why do you say that?" Relena tugged her boots back on, grabbed the plastic bag containing her clothes, and they headed back into the rain. It had lessened slightly, but it was still heavy. They huddled under the umbrella, taking slow steps.

"If he was, he would have told you that he's performing for another half hour and he would have told you to either wait until after the show or go into the tent." The girl's logic was sound.

"You're a smart girl." They reached Trowa's caravan and Jasmina unlocked the door, but didn't enter. "Thank you, again. I'll return your clothes before I leave."

"I think you should keep them. You look really hot." The teenager skipped off and waved over her shoulder. Relena waved back, even though the gesture went unseen.

She stepped inside and turned on the wall sconces. Looking around triggered memories of the first time she'd spent time with the owner of the charming house on wheels. She smiled and set her bags on the floor, going through one to get her phone and dialed Kensington.

"I have already to spoken to Wufei, miss. Is it confirmed that I will be needed later on this evening? I was told that the matter was undecided," the guard said after pleasantries were exchanged.

Relena grinned at the phone. She had asked for Kensington specifically because she was not bothered by the Vice Minister's spontaneity, quite the opposite of every male guard she encountered, especially Heero. "I will let you know within the next several hours. With this rain, it may prove easier to rent a hotel room." She paused. "I may not get in until very late or very early, depending on your view. You're more than welcome to sleep at my house tonight. I will be sure to wake you when I come in. I will have an escort of some kind."

"That is generous of you. Thanks. And have some fun," Kensington added before disconnecting the call.

Relena rolled her shoulders and looked longingly at the bed. Naps could be considered fun, she decided. She sat on the edge of it and took her boots off, lining them up neatly against the wall. She stretched out and gave a limp tug at a blanket in the corner. Just a short nap, she told herself. She covered her feet and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

…

Trowa's key forced the lock to squeak angrily and he reminded himself for the hundredth time that it needed oiling. His hand reached out to hit the light, and confused fingers touched a switch that was already on. That was when he noticed the bags on the floor and the person sleeping in his bed. Somebody was either very brave or very stupid, he decided and stormed across the caravan, shaking the person roughly. "What the hell are you doing in my bed? I don't remember giving anyone permission to come in here!" He yelled the words, more to appear intimidating than to convey anger.

Relena yelped at the rude awakening and tried to sit up. Her head hit his and he let go of her to clap his hands over his chin. "What the hell is going on here? Why did you do that?" he demanded. The startled woman sank back down onto the pillows and massaged her forehead.

"It wasn't on purpose," she snapped. "Although if this is the welcome I'm going to get, it might as well have been."

"What kind of welcome do you think you deserve?" Trowa retorted, fighting the clash of emotions that came with identifying the intruder as Relena. "Would you like me to tell Misty that I found her girlfriend sleeping in my bed?"

"_Girlfriend_? What in God's name are you talking about?" She moved into a sitting position carefully and looked at Trowa, waiting for an explanation.

"Misty told me all about your kiss and your trip to Milan together and she even sent me pictures." His voice was emotionless and it killed her. "If you were interested in her, why would you bother with me? And if you aren't with her, why didn't you tell me about anything?"

Relena rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "I was going to tell you about the kiss when I would have time to explain everything properly in person. I didn't want to start a conversation that we couldn't finish. It threw me for a loop. As for Milan, I was there for business. You can ask Heero and the cabinet, if you want to. I had one free day and happened to run into Misty. I had no idea she was going to be vacationing there. She convinced me to do some shopping and visit a spa with her. That's it."

"That's it? She comes barging into Catherine's trailer, bragging about what a good kisser you are and claiming that you're into her more than me and you say 'That's it?'"

"She _what_?" Relena yelled. She breathed deeply, willing the anger to lose some of its potency. "Is this the reason I haven't heard from you in almost a month? You thought I was dating _her_?" Her expression was one of pure misery and it sent sharp guilt through Trowa's core.

"I threw my phone against the wall when she sent me those pictures. Relena...you were naked. What was I supposed to think? What would you have done in my place?" His frown deepened at her angry stare, trying to ignore the fact that she still looked beautiful when she was infuriated.

"Gee, let me think," she said sarcastically. "I guess I would have started by calling you to find out what the hell that was all about. Do you believe I think so little of you that I would act like that? I'm pretty insulted by your low opinion of me."

"Don't go turning it around on me. I'm not the one that kissed her," he shot back.

"That was completely involuntary on my part. I didn't return her affection, you know. To be honest, it was the last thing I was expecting." Relena sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. He couldn't stop staring at her legs, but she didn't notice. "I don't know what to make of your petulant, childish behavior," she said at length. "My feelings are really hurt. I came here because I wasn't able to get in contact with you for almost a month. Would I have even known you were nearby if Heero hadn't told me he was going on a date with Catherine?"

Trowa studied her face with a mixture of dismay and longing. "I was afraid that everything she said would be true, that I had been made a fool of. I didn't want it to be true, so it seemed like keeping it unconfirmed was the only guaranteed way to keep it from being so."

She hopped off the bed and stood before him, just staring for a moment. Then she pulled him into a tight embrace. "You are Schrodinger's idiot. I'm so sorry I didn't talk to you sooner. But did you really have to give me the silent treatment?"

"It's my specialty."

Relena smirked. "At least you haven't lost your charming personality." She rested her head against him, taking joy from his proximity. It had been too long since she'd been in his arms. His hands stroked circular patterns across her back.

"Your choice of dress has once again surprised me in a good way," he commented and leaned down to kiss her temple. She smiled at the show of affection.

"My only choice of dress is gathered in that bag on the floor. I got drenched on the walk here. Luckily Jasmina saw me on her way to her trailer and she lent me some clothes to wear." Relena wriggled out of his embrace and pushed him back several paces so that she could pose for him. "She said I could keep them. What do you think?" Her tone was coy.

His eyes traveled the length of her form and he gave her that slightly predatory grin. "I think she's a smart girl," he finally said. "Do you want some tea?" He ran his fingers through her damp hair. "You're still wet."

"Please and thank you," she answered. "I'm glad we settle issues quickly and without much fuss."

"There is still an unresolved issue: Misty. What do you suppose her angle is?" Trowa measured out the loose leaves and waited for water to boil.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out. I don't appreciate any of the misinformation she's been doling out. Should I talk to her?" Relena began braiding small sections of her hair.

"I think we should ignore her. I don't think she's above trying to get even with someone if she feels wronged." It was quiet until the kettle shrieked. He steeped the tea and Relena took her cup, enjoying the way the ceramic mug warmed her hands. They sat cross-legged on the bed, facing each other. Thunder cracked overhead, then the rain came down harder than before.

"Meh, is it just going to go on forever?" she demanded loudly at the ceiling. "Give it a rest already! People are trying to have meaningful heart-to-heart conversations here."

Trowa laughed for the firs time in days. He fingered her braids. "I hate missing you."

"I hate missing you, too." She took a cautious sip of tea. It was delicious.

"Obviously there's only one thing to do about it then." His face was a mask of solemnity. "You have to join the circus."


	11. Chapter 11

_A bit of girls-only lime_

She gave him a sour look. "You shouldn't joke around like that."

"Did I say I was joking?"

Relena cocked her head to one side. "Trowa, you can't be serious."

He frowned slightly, lifted the mug to his mouth to hide it. "Why not?"

"I can't just quit my job. I can't just tell Pagan to take a hike. I can't just sell my house, all my belongings. I can't just leave Heero."

His eyes narrowed, glinting in the dim light. "Is that how it is then?"

She vented an exasperated sigh. "Don't start accusing me of ridiculous things again. As much as I like you, I will walk out that door and you will not see me again. I was so happy to see you that I was more than willing to forgive and forget, but I'm quickly getting over it and to be completely honest, I'm still bothered by your earlier behavior."

Trowa set his mug down and gestured for her to do the same. When she had complied, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, shifting until his back was against a pillow and her head rested on his shoulder. She cautiously placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat dimly beneath his shirt.

He placed two fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face up so that he could look into her eyes. She smiled suddenly. "Has anyone ever told you what gorgeous eyes you have?"

"No." He smiled faintly in return, but she could see that it was strained.

"What's the matter?" Her question made him chuckle, a deep rumble that was almost like a purr.

"You are." Trowa kept her silent with a brief kiss. "Relena, how am I to explain myself to you when I don't completely understand the issue?"

"Well, saying that I'm the issue and not explaining would make you an asshole of the third degree," she groused. He laughed again and she left a soft, open-mouthed kiss on his neck and his humor died an instant and painless death. "Start with what you're thinking," she suggested, continuing playful torture.

His eyes slipped shut for a second as he enjoyed wicked sensations before he gave himself a mental shake. The first words to pop out of his mouth were, for once, completely unplanned. "I'm in love with you."

Relena froze and pulled away from him slowly. The shock in her eyes mirrored his own. Trowa shrugged helplessly, a most unusual gesture coming from him. The silence stretched between them, becoming uncomfortable and intrusive. She knew she should say something, anything, but no words were forthcoming. Her mouth opened and closed several times, like something out of a sitcom, but she was far from finding the humor.

"I'm not sure what to say," she whispered, focusing on her mug of tea.

"Start with what you're thinking."

"I..." Her voice cracked and she licked her lips nervously, working up the courage to meet his gaze. "I'm scared."

...

Dorothy ran a brush through Relena's hair until her fingers were able to glide through the honey tresses without being caught in tangles, a feline smile on her lips at the appreciative moans and sighs her companion gave vent to. When she was finished she placed the brush back on her vanity and laughed at Relena's insistent tugging on her arms.

She raised an eyebrow and said, "Why, Miss Relena, you are acting like an impatient child." But she let herself be pulled back down, sighing as the insistent young woman beside her snuggled into position and wrapped Dorothy's arm around her, placing her hand on her head. She gave the appendage a nudge. Dorothy took the hint and scratched her head much as she would a cat's.

"I hope Quatre doesn't mind that I've stolen you for the time being." Relena's voice was sweet and drowsy.

The blond laughed, low and mischievous. "Oh, he would definitely be put out if he knew what we were up to, I think." She let her free hand trail down Relena's side, stopping just above her knee, and pulled the leg over her own before letting her fingers resume their lazy voyage.

Relena tilted her head up to look at her friend, her expression thoughtful. "Do you think he would be upset?"

"Hm, it's hard to say. At first, perhaps. I imagine he would feel betrayed." Dorothy's smile widened. "But I think he would get over it quickly. He isn't as innocent as people think. Knowing about the two of us would certainly give him some pleasant ideas to fantasize about." She dropped a kiss on Relena's nose and followed it up with one on her cheek, her lips, her chin. She did not linger, unwilling to rile the Vice Minister's passions despite the sweet ache that was beginning to build once again.

Relena sighed and tilted her head to capture Dorothy's lips with her own, taking her time with the action as she let her hands wander innocently. Her teeth gently tugged at Dorothy's lower lip when she pulled away. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Mm. Are you ready to talk about it?" Miss Catalonia stretched and held the position for a few brief seconds before sinking back onto the mattress, the action causing Relena's leg to slip between her own. She squeezed Relena's hip to make her keep it there.

The troubled young woman reached behind her awkwardly for her glass of honeyed wine and took a sip, spilling a few drops on Dorothy's clavicle which she dutifully licked away, earning a surprised hiss of pleasure. It made her smile, though it faded as she thought about the reason behind her visit. "Trowa told me he loves me." She hoisted herself up on one elbow and looked down at Dorothy. Her hair was spread across the pillows like a golden fan. She traced her jaw and the shell of her ear. "I told him I'm scared." Her eyes narrowed, frustration and anger beginning to boil inside of her. "And of course he took it the wrong way." She snorted. "He probably thought he was doing a good job of hiding behind that emotionless mask of his, but his eyes are always a dead give-away." Her own eyes softened a bit a she thought about the infuriating creature that had captured her own heart, but her voice did not. "And of course I couldn't explain what I meant because it doesn't make sense when I say it out loud. The worst part..." She trailed off, burying her head in Dorothy's neck for a few seconds to regain her composure. When she pulled away there was a hint of tears. Her voice became a raw whisper. "The worst part is that he thinks I'm scared of _him_."

"Oh, Relena. We always pick the complicated ones, don't we?" her companion mused with a wry twist of her lips. "Nothing is ever simple for us."

"No." She eyed Dorothy curiously. "You're not going to ask what it is I'm scared of?"

The blond vixen returned her gaze, shaking her head. "Isn't that why you sought me out instead of Heero?"

Relena smirked. "One of them, at least."

"So he still doesn't know about us?" Dorothy pulled Relena closer so she could sample her neck, smiling when she earned a happy sigh. "Not that I mind, of course."

"I'm entitled to have a few secrets. You're my favorite one. Besides, as close as we are, I don't think he'd understand." Heero had been her first kiss, and was her best friend; but Dorothy had been her first lover, remained the only one Relena had ever taken, and it made her something different. Each knew they were special to the Vice Minister, but Dorothy knew why she was and Heero didn't know why she was, which only fueled their polite animosity. Neither one enjoyed the company of the other, but they did their best to behave civilly when it was required.

"Well, I must confess that I enjoy being your dirty little secret much more than I would enjoy being your best friend," Dorothy teased. In a gentler tone she added, "You're going to need to explain yourself to Trowa."

Relena pulled away from her embrace and began pacing the floor, her frustrated, angry energy making her oblivious to the fact that she was naked. "I shouldn't have to spell everything out for that idiot. He should be able to figure some things out on his own." Her fury threatened to consume her. "And he should be the one doing the explaining. The conclusions he jumps to...Is there some reason I should be afraid of him, of all people? Does he think the fact that he's killed people bothers me? I mean, I wish for his sake that he hadn't had to be a soldier, but that's different from fearing him because of it. And how could he even think that I'm having sex with Misty when he's seen the way I look at him?"

"You've just had sex with me no matter how you look at him and we're probably going to do it again before you leave," Dorothy pointed out, sitting against the headboard and reaching for her own glass of wine.

"You are different." Her frustration and anger were beginning to fuel a simpler emotion. She stalked to the foot of the bed and stared at her confidant. "You are smart and funny and cruel." She knelt on the mattress. "You are deceptive and passionate." She crawled up the bed and trailed her hands up Dorothy's legs, letting her body follow. "You are confident and so goddamned beautiful and..." She trailed off, straddling the smirking woman's hips. "You understand me." She bent her head to kiss her and pulled away, looking sorrowful and lost. "Can you tell me why I'm so afraid to let him love me?" she whispered.

Dorothy ran her fingers up and down Relena's spine, enjoying the way she shivered beneath her touch. "Change is difficult and frightening and often requires some sacrifice or another. You don't want to sacrifice who you cherish for someone that might not be who you need." She cupped the brunette's face in her hands, forcing eye contact. "But Heero will still be your best friend and although I may not warm your bed in the future, I will still be your companion." She winked. "After all, there are simply some things a girl can't share with a man, no matter how close they are."

Relena nodded, not quite trusting her voice. She tried to speak anyway. "I want to try to make it work with him. I think...I think I love him back. I guess I should tell him. But how much should I say? Do you think I should tell him about...us?"

"That is for you to decide. If you feel it is the right thing to do, then tell him. If you don't, then keep it a secret." Her voice grew stern. "However, do not keep our relationship a secret if you're only doing so because you think he would disapprove. That would be a terrible mistake, and not one that I could easily forgive. I _will not_ be your secret concubine if you feel ashamed or guilty." She paused, weighing her words. "In the end, it is up to you to decide how much he should know about our relationship. I will support you as long as my terms are met." She tugged Relena's hair, licking up her neck, her jaw, across her lips.

Relena opened her mouth in response, gasping at the jolt of pleasure that traveled through her, and pouted when her companion pulled away.

Dorothy pressed her lips to her ear and smiled as Relena shivered. "You're my favorite secret, too."

…

Dorothy escorted Relena to the front door, laughing when the Vice Minister melted against her as they hugged. "I'll have Quatre invite you for dinner soon," she promised the brunette and felt the answering nod. They pulled away and Dorothy opened the door, her fingers lingering just below Relena's ear. "You are going to be fine."

The spoken words were the last thing needed to put the young lady at complete ease. She zipped up her jacket and cradled her helmet in the crook of her elbow. She made it down the front steps, Dorothy leaning against the door frame, when she darted back and kissed her once more, enjoying the taste of honeyed wine and intimacy. "Good bye." She skipped down the steps, much happier than when she arrived, and disappeared on the motorcycle she had borrowed.

Neither woman noticed the person taking pictures beyond the fence.

…

"Where is it?" Wufei bellowed, his loud outburst echoing in the parking garage. A flock of lazy pigeons erupted in flight and even Heero winced as his eardrums were punished for their ability to hear.

He sported an impatient frown as he asked, "Where is what?"

"My motorcycle! I always park it over here, in this very spot!" Wufei emphasized his comment by pointing at the ground beneath him. "I didn't move it. So where the hell is it?" He was as close to panicking as anyone had ever seen him.

"Obviously someone stole it." The former Perfect Soldier rubbed at his eyes, wondering why Wufei was being so dense. "Is it necessary for you to shout?" The question sparked a verbal war, both trying to out-shout the other. There was no telling how long they would have been at it if Relena hadn't showed up as the passenger in an armored truck. The two men released one another and straightened up, doing their best to pretend that yelling in a garage was perfectly normal behavior.

The Vice Minister hopped out and gestured to the parking space Wufei had been standing in. "It goes right here," she called over the loud rumble of the engine. The driver nodded in acknowledgment and maneuvered the large vehicle so that it could back into the space. It stopped a third of the way in and the engine cut out. The heavy iron door rolled up and two men hopped out, pulling out a ramp and locking it into place. They walked up the ramp, disappeared, and came out balancing Wufei's motorcycle between them. Relena smiled at the men and thanked them for their help and waved when they drove off.

Wufei busied himself checking his prized possession for any dents or scratches, eventually having to admit that he found none. "Why did you take my bike?" He was practically vibrating from the effort of keeping his voice even. Relena could tell he would have gladly throttled her if he thought he could get away with it. She was vaguely relieved that Heero was present.

"I wanted to thank you for your help a few days ago," she replied softly, putting just the right mixture of fear and innocence in her tone. She allowed her voice to tremble slightly as she continued, "I tried to think of a suitable gift, but nothing seemed right so I thought...I thought that I could have your bike serviced and detailed for you. You had mentioned it was due for a tune-up and you were complaining about not having enough free time to get it done in one go..." She trailed off, keeping her eyes glued to her shoes. She glanced up quickly before breaking eye contact. "I'm sorry," she whimpered meekly. "I was just trying to surprise you."

She bit her lip to keep from grinning when she heard her mentor's resigned sigh. "I appreciate the gesture," he admitted. "But in the future, it would be in your best interest to inform me of your plans. You know I don't like strangers handling my bike."

She let her gaze drift upward and she laughed. "Do you think I would take your precious baby to a stranger? I took it to Black Moon."

Wufei's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The Vice Minister and her bodyguard took their leave and walked toward the elevator. They waited in a comfortable silence for the doors to open. It arrived, they entered, and Heero pressed the button for the eighth floor.

"You rode his motorcycle, didn't you?" Heero made sure to keep his line of sight straight ahead.

Relena gaped at him."How could you -" she broke off and instead asked, "Why would you think such a thing? You know that bike is way too big for me." She kept her expression neutral, though her skin was still flushed from his flat observation.

"For a politician, you are a crappy liar."

She glared at him. "I haven't denied it. I'm merely wondering how you could possibly arrive at such an outlandish conclusion."

He sighed. "Outlandish conclusion? You've got your hair twisted up in a cinnamon bun or whatever the hell it's called, which you only do when it's windy. The air has been still for most of the day with occasional light breezes. You're wearing your canvas pants, which you only wear when you're going to be riding or doing manual labor. Considering the lack of grime, it's obvious which reason you had. Your wrists still have indentations that indicate you were wearing gloves and you have your locker key around your wrist which means you deposited your jacket and helmet there before coming to the garage." He paused, turning his head to look at her. "Would you like me to continue, or is that enough evidence to support my conclusion?"

They stepped off the elevator and headed for her office. "Sometimes I wonder why you didn't go into law or something," she mused.

"I don't like to wear suits."

"Ha." She paused to exchange a few words with Marsha, who was leaving for the day.

"Why did you take Wufei's motorcycle?"

Relena smirked. "So now we get to the interesting questions. I decided to have lunch with Dorothy today. Don't worry, I had an escort."

"Hn." Heero returned his gaze to the elevator doors, disapproval radiating from him, and she frowned.

"One day you're going to have to get over this _irrational_ dislike you have for her. It isn't healthy. And it's annoying."

Her bodyguard let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm terribly sorry I have an _instinctive_ dislike for psychopaths. I will do my best to remedy this in the future."

"You're the one that told me to keep my friends close and my enemies closer," she reminded him.

He didn't bother responding.

Relena grinned. "Anyway, how was your date with Catherine? Obviously it went well since you took a personal day and then wore a turtleneck to work."

"Since the answer is obvious, what is the point of asking?"

"To annoy you."

They paused outside her office door and exchanged a look. Something wasn't right. Heero pulled a Desert Eagle from gods knew where and jerked his head. Relena moved to the doorway that led to the hallway and went around the corner.

Heero gripped the doorknob and twisted, kicking the door open. He quickly scanned the room and checked behind the door. The room was empty and there was no sign that anything had been tampered with it. There was a a large manilla envelope on her desk with CONFIDENTIAL stamped on the front in red ink. After close inspection he determined it was not a threat. He checked the rest of her desk and studied the air vent before calling, "It's safe, Vice Minister!"

Relena entered seconds later, frowning when her eyes noticed the envelope. "That wasn't here when I left and Marsh didn't mention anything about that arriving, although maybe I'm just being paranoid. She could have forgotten."

"Paranoia could save your life one day. Do you want me to open it for you?"

"No, I think I can manage." She stared at him unblinking. "You're certain it's safe?"

"Affirmative." He pushed it across the desk.

She pinched the metal tabs together and lifted the flap. Holding her breath, she pressed the sides inward and peered into the envelope. It contained pictures. More intrigued than worried at this point, she shook them out and sat down quite suddenly. The glossy eight by tens had been taken recently; that afternoon, to be precise. The top photo was a close-up of her kissing Dorothy goodbye. She peeled back the corner to get a glimpse of the next one and the blood left her face. It was probably safe to assume that the rest of the pictures were not as decent.

Relena quickly shoved the photos back in the envelope and sealed it. "I'm not sure why Marsha didn't mention that this had arrived. I'll take it home and work on it over the weekend." She tried to ignore Heero's suspicious frown.

"Something important, I take it?"

"Extremely." She lifted a finger. "However, I can't discuss the contents with you. It's very sensitive material." She offered a small smile. "I'm sorry."

"Hn." She wasn't lying, but he could tell she was withholding information. "How much longer will you be working?"

Relena glanced at the clock. It was almost six. "I think I would like to go home now." She tapped the envelope. "It's going to be another long night."


	12. Chapter 12

Heero stood in the foyer waiting for the doorbell to ring. To pass the time he stared at the huge staircase before him and wondered what Relena was doing. She had bolted upstairs the moment he had opened the door for her, pausing only long enough to tell him what she wanted for dinner. Twenty minutes later, she still hadn't come downstairs.

His concern had nothing to do with her safety. It had to do with what she was hiding from him. A sense of unease had been building since he first laid eyes on that envelope she had with her and he needed to know why.

After reviewing the information available to him he narrowed it down to two plausible causes: she was dealing with a secret he had no previous knowledge of or an unexpected work issue had popped up that required her full attention. He shook his head and eliminated the latter almost immediately. He had one of the highest security clearances available and it was highly doubtful that she would be unable to discuss anything work-related with him.

Knocking sounded and it took Heero a second to target the source. He opened the front door and paid for the food he had ordered. He carried the bags to the dining room and methodically sorted the containers as he resumed contemplating Relena's behavior.

She was a human and humans were nothing but skin-wrapped bags of secrets, so it was neither surprising nor hurtful to think that she would never confess everything to him. In his opinion, sometimes she shared too much, so it was almost a relief to be certain beyond a doubt that she was dealing with something personal that he was clueless about. He wondered briefly if it would have a negative impact on her public image, but it was unlikely.

The thought stayed with him, stubborn against his attempts at changing the topic. If it was a possible threat to her job security, it was probable she would explain everything to him because she often believed that having multiple perspectives was crucial to solving difficult problems. Something was beginning to gnaw at his gut, an instinct that insisted quite loudly that there are some things that even best friends shouldn't know and for the first time in many years he had to wrestle with a long-dormant voice that was urging him to disappear RIGHT NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO

late.

Relena walked in the room and eyed the food, a little depressed that even though she was starving the thought of eating food was making her nauseous. She tried to smile at Heero, but it felt fake and she nodded to him instead. She focused her efforts on putting meat and noodles into a bowl and pouring fragrant broth over it. She pushed at the cube of noodles with a chopstick until they began to loosen and threw in a handful of bean sprouts for good measure, followed by a few leaves of basil and hoisin sauce. For the first time, Relena didn't fight Heero over who got to have the extra container of sriracha sauce.

Heero watched her from the corner of his eye as he prepared his own bowl, torn between running into the night not to be seen again until this whole thing blew over and wanting to protect her no matter what the cost. The feeling was not foreign, but it had been seven years since he had last experienced it. It served to remind him of how precious she was to him.

Contrary to what they told people, they had been in love once upon a time and had tried to follow their emotions. But he was too new to the concept and she was too inexperienced to offer any insight. Fairy tales were just that – the princess never ended up with the soldier unless he was born into a privileged family – and they worked around reality as best they could, resulting in this indescribable friendship. They still loved one another, but as they continued to experience life it had morphed into a category unique to them.

He sighed, turning his thoughts to the present. Relena was giving him a curious glance from the doorway. When had she moved? He cleared his throat. "What?"

"I asked if you wanted to join me in the living room. I want to watch some TV, try to unwind," she repeated. "It's okay if you decline." Her smile was gentle, her eyes understanding. Somehow she _knew_ he wanted to hide from her secret and if she were in his shoes she would feel the same. He was only human, after all.

He scowled. "Of course I'll join you. But I'm not watching any of those romantic comedies."

She nodded and they settled in the living room. Relena swiped the remote from the coffee table and set the channel to cartoons. An episode of Archer was on. Within a minute, she was beginning to crack a smile. Five minutes after that she had an appetite again. Ten minutes later she was trying not to laugh as she ate her noodles.

Heero raised an eyebrow at the screen. Though he occasionally found the show entertaining, he wondered why Relena found a bunch of idiots playing spy so funny, but accepted it because it was making her happy. He finished his noodles in silence, tensing when she muted the television and twisted on the sofa to face him. _It's coming, _the voice whispered. He forced himself to maintain eye contact with her.

She looked tired and...disappointed. His lips twitched in a slight frown. "I neglected to tell you the whole truth earlier, but I'm sure you know that," she began. "I have been keeping a secret from you for a long time now, a secret that I have never confessed to anyone. But it has been recently discovered."

The urge to flee overwhelmed him and in his desperation to keep her from confessing he blurted out, "Are you the one that ate my slice of cheesecake four years ago?" It was a mystery that had never been solved and mocked him once or twice a year.

Relena's jaw dropped open at the accusation, temporarily shocked that he thought she would be so concerned over something like cheesecake. She glared at him, annoyed that she had been thrown off-balance. "I – what? No! Are you talking about the Children of the Stars benefit dinner?" she demanded with exasperation heavy in her tone. "I am alluding to something so much more important than stolen cheesecake that it's ridiculous to be talking about cheesecake, Heero."

"Betrayal is extremely important," he argued flatly, desperate to keep the conversation going.

"Oh for crying out loud, it was Marimeia, okay? Moving on," she said through clenched teeth.

"That evil, theiving little brat," he hissed. "Doesn't she realize -" He continued to ramble.

Relena was at her wit's end. Here she sat, trying to share something potentially life-changing with her best friend and he was plotting against Une's daughter. She had given him the chance to back out and he had declined. He should at least have enough respect to actually hear her out. "I have been having a sexual affair with Dorothy Catalonia for the past five years." She spoke softly, but it was the only sound his ears focused on.

It wasn't obvious that he had heard her and she worried that she would have to repeat it louder, but the man sitting beside her keeled over and fell on the floor. He made no effort to move, but that was unsurprising considering the force with which his head had hit the table.

…

Quatre spied through the keyhole of Dorothy's office door and frowned. His fiancee hadn't moved from her desk since the phone call she had received just shy of forty minutes ago. He sensed inner turmoil, but she did not appear to be suffering from any form of shock, outrage, or other telling emotion. _Probably wondering why whoever did whatever would be so stupid,_ he decided.

He turned away from the door and prepared to take his leave. It was never wise to pressure Dorothy into sharing anything. "Mr. Winner, would you come in instead of skulking outside my door like another brooding pilot I know of?" Her voice carried through the heavy barrier, at once sharp and sweet. The poor man was uncertain if he should pretend he hadn't heard her and continue on his way or accept his fate and cross the threshold into his (more often than not) private hell.

"Of course, dear," he replied through clenched teeth. Pushing the door open, he entered and maneuvered behind her to offer a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Something wrong?"

She arched a brow. "You know the answer is a resounding 'yes'. I think it would be wise of you to take a seat before I inform you of my dilemma." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "If you're willing to listen, that is."

He nuzzled her hair, the same sense of self-preservation Heero was battling beginning to reacquaint itself with the former Sandrock pilot. "I can think of more interesting things to do," he murmured in her ear. He could practically feel the blood rush through her veins as her heartbeat quickened. He smiled and busied his fingers with unbuttoning her blouse.

"Quatre, if you think that you can seduce me into silence, you are dead wrong," she whispered before nibbling on his earlobe. "I am capable of screaming much more than your name and expletives while you fuck me senseless on my desk, so unless you plan on going deaf or gagging me I suggest you sit down."

The man's plan had backfired, but he was unwilling to allow her complete victory. "I have a new proposal then," he replied and branded her with a searing kiss.

"Isn't there some kind of international law against negotiating with terrorists?" she asked as she pushed his hands away.

"You're not a terrorist."

"I wasn't talking about me." She took his hand in hers and led him over to the chaise lounge positioned before the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. "I would love nothing more than to give into your charming display of seduction, but there is something that we must discuss without delay." She appraised him openly. "What I am about to say may very well destroy us; just let me get through this without interruption and I will accept the consequences without argument."

They sat and she released his hand. To his surprise, she was calmer and more at peace than he had ever seen her except the few brief moments before she fell asleep after one of their more romantic lovemaking sessions. "You know I will never judge you."

Her lips twisted in a wry smirk, but her eyes loved him in a way that was unreadable to others. "When we decided to pursue a relationship we agreed that secrets are a vital part of who we are and that it would be highly unlikely, and unforgivable to demand, for either of us to completely bare our souls to one another." Her eyes glittered with lust and solemnity. Dorothy's unique ability to experience two conflicting emotions in harmony stunned Quatre once more and he found it almost difficult to concentrate on her words. He forced himself to focus as she continued.

"I have a terribly precious secret, one that I have protected for half a decade. Before I confess, it is crucial that you understand that my goal is not to hurt you; it is to do whatever necessary to preserve this cherished aspect of my life. Do you, Quatre?"

He could only nod.

"I am Relena's companion, confidant, concubine, lover...choose whichever word you're most comfortable with. They are all adequate. Her first and only." She waited patiently for a response.

The former pilot leaned against the back of the chaise and crossed his arms before his chest, a satisfied smile on his lips. "That explains it."

Her face remained impassive, but her tone was curious. "What?"

"Why the two of you get those distant, private smiles on your faces whenever I mention one of you to the other."

"I hate to admit it, but I am...puzzled...that you aren't upset about our affair." Sky blue met lagoon teal.

His smile softened. "You love honestly and I have no quarrel with that unless it negatively affects our relationship." A teasing affection glimmered in his eyes. "The only thing I can think to complain of is that you haven't let me watch."

She glared, but her lips quirked with amusement. "Never in a million years, darling."

He kissed her, but when he pulled away his expression was grave. "I appreciate you trusting me with your secret, but I'm impatient to know the motive behind it."

"Yes, I apologize for allowing you to let me delay the big reveal." She tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Relena has received an envelope that contains surveillance photos of us taken this afternoon. I have not seen them, but she has assured me that if they are released to the public, all hell will probably break loose." Her eyes narrowed as she looked outside. "The security system covers a quarter-mile in every possible direction. It is improbable that the voyeur was on the grounds and we control the air space, so how the hell did someone get closeups of us?"

"What room were you in?" Quatre pulled her up. "We should see if we can figure out the point of origin."

"My boudoir. Right now it doesn't matter. We won't be able to pinpoint the exact location until we've seen the photos. She has asked that we host a diner party for twenty guests or so tomorrow evening. A casual get-together, so to speak. It is critical that we review the contingency plan and prepare a backup." She walked over to her desk and gestured for him to follow. "I have made a list of guests. Obviously some of these people will be invited only because they deserve to find out from Relena and myself." She sat down and pulled the list up.

Quatre skimmed it, unsurprised by her choices until the end. His eyebrows shot up and he glanced at her. "Are you positive it's a good idea to invite Trowa? This seems like something Relena should discuss with him in private."

"She made it quite clear that he is to be invited and I am not going to go against her wishes." Dorothy shook her head. "If this gets out to the public, she will lose the election."


	13. Chapter 13

Misty was painting her nails a brilliant aqua color to match the costume she would be wearing that evening when someone knocked on her trailer door. She jumped, smearing the paint on her left thumb. "Damn it," she muttered, but got up to answer it, plastering a smile on her face. "Oh, it's you." She sighed and sauntered back over to her bed. "Did you get them?"

Her visitor frowned. "I just did you a huge favor. You should sound a bit more grateful, sis."

She waved a hand in indifference. "You're getting paid by me so I'll sound however I want." Her lips twisted into a smug smile. "So where are they?"

"Damien will have them here soon."

Her smile disappeared as her eyes widened. "_Damien_? Why the hell is he coming here?" Fingernails dug into skin and streaked it with wet paint when she clenched her hands into fists.

"This wasn't the easiest job to pull off. You said I could recruit an assistant, so I did. Damien was the best man for the job." He shrugged, taking note of her fury and ignoring it. "You should be paying us double since we had to go to one of the Winner estates to get your pics. Their security is a bitch and we had to procure a telescopic sight for the camera. What are you going to do with them anyway?" He mumbled something under his breath, but she didn't catch it. He was probably complaining.

She stared at her brother thoughtfully. "Whatever. I guess I'll tell you. I'm going to use the pictures to blackmail Relena Dorlain into never speaking to Trowa again. If she doesn't cooperate, I'm going to send them to _Global_ – anonymously, of course." She smiled again. "That's her punishment for embarrassing me like she did and I'll get Trowa all to myself. Isn't that perfect?"

"Only a moron would call that perfect," a new voice announced. Her ex-boyfriend flashed a wide grin. "Long time, no see, you evil bitch."

"How dare you call me that, you insufferable bastard!" Misty hissed. "I'm not paying you a damn thing now unless you beg me for forgiveness on your knees," she threatened, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Payment won't be necessary," Damien replied. "We just recorded your little confession."

She paled and sat on the bed. "It was recorded without my knowledge or permission so it'll never be admissible as evidence for anything."

Damien rolled his eyes. "Play it back for her, Vince."

Her brother rewound the tape and pressed play. Vince's voice, mumbles when Misty had listened, clearly stated, "This conversation is going to be recorded." And her voice replied, "Whatever."

Misty was tomato-red and shaking with rage. "This is ridiculous! Tricking me into having a recorded conversation is illegal, isn't it?"

Vince and Damien gave her flat looks. "You think your plan is any more legal? Blackmailing a person, especially one Vice Minister of Interplanetary Affairs Relena Dorlain, is a felony," Vince replied. "So here's a proposition for you: confess your intentions to Minister Dorlain – we've already delivered the photographs to her – or we will send this tape to the police. You have twelve hours."

Tears began to fall and she brushed them away angrily, eying her brother. "Why would you do this to me?"

"I've asked myself that question numerous times since you lied to our parents about me being secretly gay."

"But that was a joke!" she protested. "I told them it was!"

"By the time you worked up your courage to tell them – three weeks later – it was too little, too late," he growled. "I have no problem with people thinking I'm gay. What I have a problem with is you getting so worked up over the fact that I let my girlfriend borrow a jacket that you hadn't even looked at in three years without asking that you started a vicious rumor and didn't give any thought to whom might get hurt because of it. You are the worst kind of person." Damien put a hand on his shoulder, a subtle reminder to stay calm. Vince glared at his sister. "You have twelve hours. We'll be waiting for a call from Miss Dorlain herself to confirm."

They left without another word.

…

Trowa studied his reflection, testing several expressions on his face. He tilted his head at various angles, then pushed his hair out of his eyes. He glared, then crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

He groaned in frustration and let his head rest against the mirror, coming to the conclusion that he was hopeless. The woman he loved was afraid of him and he had no idea why. He was certain it wasn't his physical appearance and he didn't think he had ever come off as threatening. Was she afraid of him because he'd killed people? That seemed unlikely...

Of course, it was possible that she was scared of something else entirely, but if that was true, then why didn't she explain? She had apologized at least a dozen times before taking her leave, yet offered nothing else.

His confession had only been four days ago, but it was beginning to feel like an eternity.

Why the hell had he fallen in love?

"Knock, knock," Catherine called out and pushed the door open. She was unsurprised to find him slumped against the wall, bemoaning his existence. He had told her everything about his latest encounter with Relena. She thought he was overreacting. "Hey there, Smiles! I hope you aren't still pouting over there. The sun is shining, the weather is warm, and you have mail from a Miss Dorothy Catalonia. Ring any bells?" She held the envelope between thumb and forefinger and dangled it before her.

Trowa pushed away from the wall and snatched it, eying the ivy-embossed paper. "I don't trust that woman."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "It's an invitation to a dinner party that her and Quatre are hosting. I received one too. It's for tonight." She grimaced. "They're going to send a helicopter to pick us up."

Her brother smirked. "I won't let you fall out."

"Gee, thanks." She sighed impatiently. "Are you going to open it?"

He peeled the envelope apart and skimmed the invitation:

_To our esteemed guest, Mr Trowa Barton -  
><em>

_We would be honored if you would join us the evening of October 11th _

_at 6:30 for an informal dinner party. _

_Cocktails will be served from 6:45 to 7:15._

_The first course of dinner will be served at 7:30 sharp._

_If the terms are agreeable, please RSVP by 3:30 on the afternoon of the 11th._

_We will send a helicopter._

_Your hopeful host and hostess,_

_Quatre Winner and Dorothy Catalonia_

_P.S. Dress code is business-casual_

A piece of folded notebook paper dropped to the floor when he flipped the invitation over. He picked it up seconds before Catherine's fingers swooped down and smoothed it out.

_Trowa,_

_It is at my insistence that Dorothy and Quatre are having this dinner. There are important matters that must be discussed. Please do your best to attend. Also, I wanted to tell you this in person, but I feel it is too important to wait, so here goes: I am not scared of you in any way, shape or form. I find you to be an idiot for jumping to that conclusion and urge you to discontinue your ridiculous hobby immediately unless you enjoy being so spectacularly wrong all the time._

_Love, Relena_

Catherine held back a grin. His face was blank as ever, but his eyes glittered with what she thought was hope. "Shall I tell them that you'll be escorting me this evening?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. Come to my trailer at five. See ya!"

…

Relena paced before a large bookcase and Heero watched from the loveseat. "No matter what happens tonight, I'm here for you," he assured her.

She paused in mid-step. "How do you always know what to say? It's not fair." She blinked rapidly to ward off tears of exhaustion and resumed walking her short circuit. "I _hate_ being scared." Her voice was venom. "No matter what we do, those pictures are going to be exposed, and when they are...I don't even want to think about it." She moved over to the wet bar and mixed a drink, the name of which she was too embarrassed to share with Heero when he tasted it.

"It's not like you're eating babies or bathing in virgins' blood. Why should anyone care that you're bisexual?" he asked while mixing a drink of his own.

She sighed, annoyed that despite working with her every day Heero still didn't understand why it was important for her to maintain a public image of near-perfection. "I don't have the energy to explain it to you. I'm nervous enough about having to tell Trowa." Relena downed her drink in one swallow and began to mix another.

Heero grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look at him. "If he's half the man I think he is, he won't give a damn that you are attracted to men and women."

"That's not the part I'm worried about," she moaned. "It's the part where I tell him that I'm involved with Dorothy. What if he think I'm a cheater? What if he finds me repulsive for choosing her? What if he decides..." She didn't want to finish the sentence aloud, but her mind continued for her: _what if he decides he doesn't love me anymore?_

"You're too smart to play the what-if game." Heero pressed his forehead against hers and smiled. "And he's in love with you."

Relena blushed. "Thank you."

"He won't take it well," he warned, pulling away. His expression sobered. "Don't be surprised if he storms out tonight."

Her smile was bittersweet. "It won't hurt any less if I expect it."

Dorothy stepped into the study. "Mr Yuy, the guests are arriving. Duo and Hildie have just arrived, as have Marsha and Miss Pontrali. Would you kindly attend to them with Quatre? I need to exchange words with Relena." She flashed her even, white teeth. It was unclear whether it was a snarl or a smile. Heero suppressed a shudder and left.

She pulled the Vice Minister into a much-needed embrace. "I'll be there for you when the world falls down," she whispered and succeeded in making her laugh. A favorite line from a favorite movie.

Relena rested her forehead against Dorothy's shoulder. "This whole situation...sucks." The word seemed odd to her tongue, but it fit. "It's...do you mind if I curse?" She felt the answering shake of the head. "It's fucking ridiculous that people stoop so low and it makes no sense. I don't understand what all of this is supposed to accomplish. I hate that you and Quatre have to be a part of this idiocy."

Dorothy shrugged and they pulled away. "Try to look on the bright side. Who would have thought that you would be at the heart of such a steamy potential scandal? You should be proud of yourself." Her opinion earned a wry smirk. "In all seriousness, there will not be much damage done to Quatre or me. He's the second youngest billionaire in the human universe and I am his fiancee. Our concern is for you."

"I'll survive." In a matter of seconds she was transformed into the former queen of the world, ready to face any challenge. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

The two women exited the room and made their way to the reception hall, located just outside the formal dining room. During their brief exchange most of the guests had arrived, the only two absent being Trowa and Catherine.

Relena kept a warm smile her face while she wondered where they were. She decided that she wouldn't panic about their absences until ten minutes before dinner. She had spent the previous night deciding how to tell Trowa what was going on, and it would take no less than ten minutes to explain everything properly and give him time to decide if he would stay for dinner or not. If he showed up late and just sat down to dinner, he was going to be as shocked as everyone else when she gave her little speech.

Heero appeared at her side with a glass of wine. She nodded her appreciation and finished greeting the Prime Minister and fellow members of the Cabinet of Interplanetary Affairs before turning her attention to the silent bodyguard. "Zechs and Noin are keeping an eye on our friend."

"Oh?" She sipped at her wine, willing the liquid to work its magic on her nerves. "I wonder if Milliardo will care about all this."

Heero shrugged. "Does it matter? You only see him for festive occasions or dire emergencies anyway."

"He's my older brother. In books and movies they are often portrayed as goofy or serious or a total creep, but the underlying theme is always one of protecting the younger sister from...whatever. All I get from Milliardo is solemnity and a vague impression of disappointment."

"You have no idea," her best friend muttered, remembering past encounters with the Lightning Count. He straightened and nudged her. "I believe our dates have arrived."

Forest met ocean and the night was over in a heartbeat.


	14. Chapter 14

_I apologize for the long wait. I'll try to be better._

Alexandre Giuliani smiled as the audience applauded and cheered, ignoring the heat and glare of the stage lights that did nothing but worsen his dull headache. He had been on the air for over twenty years and tonight's show was his grand finale. No more lights, no more crappy music clips, no more exacerbation of dull headaches. The best part was the identity of his guest. He gestured for the applause to die down and waited for silence.

"As many of you know, tonight is my last on television. It has been an amazing twenty-four years and if anyone had told me when I was first starting out that this show would have a dedicated one billion watchers, I would have told them they were effing nutters. Yet here we are. I don't have the words to convey my appreciation of you all. Without you, viewers, tonight would not be possible. I am honored that you are joining me in my final farewell." Giuliani took a sip from his coffee mug and folded his hands on top of the desk he sat behind,waiting for the cheers and applause to end.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is special, and as such, we are going to cover a special topic. I am beyond certain that you have all heard about what the media, in all of their wisdom, have dubbed 'the greatest political scandal of the century'. A bold claim, to be sure. For those few people that have been hibernating for the past four weeks, allow me to explain briefly what all the fuss is about." He paused, brow furrowed in concentration, then laughed. "I apologize. This whole fiasco is so utterly ridiculous that I don't know where to begin. I suppose I will simply list the facts.

"One: Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlain somehow found herself at odds with a young woman whose name has so far been withheld. Two: This woman allegedly manipulated several different people to cause an uproar in the Vice Minister's personal life. Three: Manipulation not being enough, this person then decided that blackmail would be an acceptable form of retribution." Giuliani shook his head as the audience booed. "Four: She apparently came to her senses and rescinded any threats, going so far as to confess and apologize in a room containing Ms Dorlain's most trusted family, staff members and friends. Five: Two days after the meeting these photographs, and about half a dozen more, were published in every magazine and newspaper around the globe and in the colonies."

He waited as his audience absorbed the visual material, gasps and murmured expressions of disbelief rippling through the crowd. "With these photos, a letter co-written by Alfred Kunze – Cabinet Secretary and Kimberly Pontrali – Ms. Dorlain's publicist, was included. The letter in its entirety is available to read on my website with permission from Ms Dorlain. For now I will give you the basic idea. These two people Ms Dorlain thought that she could trust with such highly sensitive, highly personal material voiced their beliefs that the Vice Minister can no longer be entrusted with the enormous task of holding her office. Now, obviously they don't word the reasoning as straightforward as they do their conviction, but if you ignore the flowery rhetoric generously sprinkled throughout, it becomes clear that they aim to convince people that because Ms Dorlain neglected to inform the entire human population of her sexual orientation – something that should not matter in the least if it is not affecting a person's job performance – she is dishonest, untrustworthy and a danger to women in the workplace. They reckon that because Ms Dorlain has pursued a relationship with a woman she may suddenly decide to become sexually aggressive towards women she works with."

Giuliani took another sip from his coffee mug. The audience remained silent, captivated by his report. "Less than forty-eight hours after the photographs and letter were published, Ms Dorlain was asked by the Prime Minister, who was pressured by the entire Cabinet and many influential citizens of Earth, to resign her post. Public polls showed that a whopping forty-five percent of you agreed that she is suddenly unfit for office because she is bisexual and didn't tell you." He heard several angry responses and laughed. "Yes, I say 'you' and not 'us' because I am not among the forty-five percent that agree. I don't know how many of my live audience members agree or disagree and to be honest, I'm not interested in knowing. So stop grumbling and let's get on with the show!

"Now that you have some back story – and I admit to, but do not apologize for being biased – it gives me great pleasure to introduce my last guest. She is, in my opinion, an astounding young woman and one of my favorite, if rare, people to interview. Please give a warm round of applause for the former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Relena Dorlain!" There was a maelstrom of applause, cheers and jeers as Relena walked out on the stage, accepting an engulfing hug from Giuliani with a wide smile. As she settled into her seat, twenty people stood up and left, several of them aiming rude gestures in her direction.

"Ignore those cretins, Relena," Giuliani commanded warmly. "They're a bunch of assholes for not wanting to hear what you have to say." The several tens of remaining audience members cheered and laughed. Relena gave an uncertain smile.

"Are you sure it's okay to use such profanity on public television, Alex? There may be children watching," she rebuked gently.

"It's my last show, or were you not paying attention backstage?" he demanded teasingly.

"I spaced out as usual, trying to prepare myself for whatever you're going to throw at me. You are one of the tougher interviewers I've had to answer questions for." Relena grinned. "Congratulations on your retirement, by the way. I was wondering when you'd realize you're too old to be considered charming anymore."

Giuliani laughed. "Isn't she a gem, everyone? You know, I remember the first time I interviewed you. You were sixteen, just beginning to fill your father's shoes. So young, so composed, so polite. For a few minutes I was positive you were a young Stepford wife. You still dress like one." The audience chuckled.

"This is one of my favorite dresses, I'll have you know," she interjected.

"Anyway, I brought up the political debate that was centered around cutting funding and imposing taxes on charities and public services that brought in more than fifty million dollars a year and I think we all learned very quickly that you are a tiger in kitten's clothing."

Relena's vibrant red face matched her shirt, but she managed to keep a cool expression. "I can't help it if I have a serious problem with people that have mansions with tennis courts and golf courses in their backyards wanting to take even more from people that have nothing left to give. For a lot of them, the kindness of others is the only thing keeping them alive. Homelessness and starvation are two things that have always existed for humans. We have come so far as a species that I find it abhorrent that these problems still plague us. I can walk into almost any large city and find at least fifteen people that haven't even found a cardboard box to call home."

Giuliani raised his eyebrows at the end of her little speech. "You are truly a remarkable young woman, Relena Dorlain. Your father would be so proud."

She inclined her head. "Thank you."

"Although, and I say this with all due respect, perhaps he wouldn't be overly proud of the headlines you've been causing."

Relena nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take you to bring up my scandal. Longer than I thought, in case you're curious." She crossed her legs and took a deep breath. "What would you like to know?"

"Why did you decline to issue any kind of statement after the publications and, later, the request made by the Prime Minister? I think everyone had something to say about it except you."

"There was, and is, no reason. Simple as that."

"How would you describe your feelings when you found out that Secretary Kunze and Ms Pontrali had released those photographs to the press?"

She cocked her head to one side and bit her lip. "When I first found out, I was literally speechless. I didn't utter a single word for almost an hour. I did plenty of crying in that time, but no talking. I'd say that my emotions ran from extremely hurt that people I have worked with for seven years would expose me instead of confronting me directly with their issues to almost as angry as I was when my father was assassinated. After I was asked to step down, I spent a lot of time meditating because I has having difficulty letting go of my anger. I have no intention of forgiving or forgetting, but I'm not looking to get any form of vengeance. For the first time in my life I am just a regular citizen and I want to see what the future has to offer." She wiped her brow with the back of one hand. "Whew, that was a bit long-winded, wouldn't you agree?"

Giuliani smiled. "Sometimes honesty takes a little time." He offered her a bottle of water. "So, have you made any plans for the immediate future or are you just taking things one day at a time?" His smile faltered slightly when she started laughing. When she continued without explanation, he glanced at the cameras and shrugged. "I think I missed the punchline, Miss Dorlain."

"I'm terribly sorry," she said when she'd regained her composure. "Three years after I'd begun working as the Vice Minister my best friend insisted that I plan what he called a backup life. Yes, you heard right," she added, catching his confused frown. "He said that in the event of some life-changing event, I should have a backup life so that I don't waste precious time lingering on what went wrong or what I could have done differently to change the outcome. I told him that the idea was silly, that nothing was capable of uprooting me as completely as I have already been and we made a bet. So I made a backup life." She looked at the cameras and stuck out her tongue. "Guess I owe you fifty dollars."

"What does your backup life consist of?"

"A new house, a college application, job offers. A long vacation, to start things off on the right foot. Nothing too exciting. Just a chance for me to try out a life where my life isn't threatened."

"Does this mean that you are leaving the political arena for good?"

"Millions of people believe that I have done as much as I can as a politician. There are other ways to help people than talk and sign papers. I 'm looking forward to helping out in soup kitchens or at toy drives without people thinking I'm just trying to get attention or win brownie points." She smiled. "What else would you like to know?"

Giuliani leaned forward and gestured for her to lean closer and cover the microphone pinned to her blouse. "This next question is pure gossip indulgence," he warned, covering his microphone with his hand. "Feel free to refrain from answering."

"That was never an issue on my part," she replied.

Relena's host winked at the audience. "All right, my people. During the opening credits of the show, our esteemed audience members were asked to write down one question they would ask if they were interviewing Ms Dorlain instead of me. There are several interesting ones and, Relena, I asked them to include an email address on the off chance that you would be willing to reply to them. Now, at the beginning of our show seventy-one people were seated comfortably in our studio. Those that left early have had their questions removed. My wardrobe assistant kindly volunteered to go through the remaining queries and tally up which was asked the most times. Out of the fifty-one remaining audience members, thirty-six wonder the same exact thing. Are you ready?"

The audience cheered and clapped as Relena nodded her head. Giuliani cleared his throat and held up a small white envelope. He removed the slip of paper inside and unfolded it as slowly and dramatically as he could manage. "And the number one curiosity on peoples' minds is: what caused the tension between you and this unnamed woman in the first place?"

Relena felt the blood pounding in her ears as her mind took her far, far away from the studio, the cameras, the lights and focused instead on chestnut hair, emerald eyes and an enigmatic smile. She tried to ignore the pain that thinking of him caused. It wasn't until the audience started stomping out a steady beat to their unending chorus of "Answer it!" that she came back to her senses. "Sorry, I needed a moment to collect my thoughts,"she said and stretched her lips into an empty grin. "As far as I can tell, it happened because we were attracted to the same person and things escalated when that person decided to return my feelings. I doubt jealousy is the only cause, but I believe it to be a significant one."

"Relena, on behalf of everyone present tonight, I offer you my condolences and best wishes. Thank you so much for allowing me one last interview. If I may, I have one last question. What are your immediate plans for the future?"

"Honestly, all I can say is, who knows?"She looked square into the closest camera. "Maybe I'll run away and join the circus."

"The final moments are upon us. Is there anything that you would like to say to the masses before our last farewell?"

"Yes." She stood and took a deep breath before smiling. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Earth and the colonies. I strove to do my duty to the best of my abilities and hoped to continue doing so for years to come. When I first took over my father's role, I didn't realize how much I would come to cherish my work. It's true that some days I wanted to throw in the towel, but I refused to give up on my fellow humans." She waited for the applause to fade before offering a glare that was on par with Heero. "While I am beyond furious with Secretary Kunze and Ms Pontrali for what they did to me, I must admit that I am much more saddened, disappointed and angered by the reaction of the general masses. Your betrayal is the most hurtful of all."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a fond farewell to our former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Relena Dorlain!"

The studio was mostly silent as the credits rolled and Alexandre Giuliani shouted out thank yous before screens faded to black, the remaining audience members shuffling out of the studio, more than one offering up a rude gesture to Relena on their way out. She accepted Giuliani's arm and they walked to his dressing room. She sat down and sighed in relief. "I get some kind of bonus points for not telling everyone to fuck themselves, right?"

Giuliani laughed and sat in a swivel chair, tilting his head up so the makeup artist could begin the removal process. "Twenty-four years and what do I have to show for it? Only the best final interview ever recorded."

Relena raised her eyebrows. "I disagree entirely. The best final interviews are funny. This was certainly not funny. It was self-indulgent, if anything."

"I agree, but it was all about you. I know that you don't believe anyone that says it, but you are one of the most influential people of our time. Even as a teenager you sought to change the world and did. People love you, they hate you, they think you're a miracle child, they think you're the devil's spawn. The point is this: everyone knows who you are. Everyone. And you had a chance to express yourself." Giuliani thanked the makeup artist and straightened his tie. "Now onto the subject of dinner."

"Dinner? Your retirement party starts in an hour. I have to go to my hotel to get ready," she protested. Not to mention the audience question had murdered her hunger.

"_Our_ retirement party, my dear," he corrected. "I will not accept a refusal. The party is being held on a cruise ship, we are minutes away from the harbor, we have everything and everyone that you could possibly need to get dressed and made up available and I'm starving. We are getting food. You are not leaving. End of discussion."

"She's not staying if she doesn't want to," Heero announced, pushing away from the wall he had been leaning against the entire time. Giuliani visibly jumped in the air and erupted into a string of Italian expletives. Relena's bodyguard smirked at her. "End of discussion."

"Heero, there is no need to be such a jackass," she grumbled. "Of course I'll accompany you for dinner. What did you have in mind?"

"I had Michelle order pizza as soon as the show ended, so it should be arriving soon. Don't worry, I added a salad for you," Giuliani added with a look in Heero's direction. "I remember from last time."

Relena covered her face from embarrassment, reliving the memory of Heero holding a gun to the now-retired show host when it was revealed that he had not ordered any kind of vegetation to accompany their last shared meal, stating that it was imperative that Relena got at least three servings of vegetables in a day and so far she had only had two. It was a good distraction. "I know it's been three and a half years since that happened, but I am still terribly sorry,"she murmured. "Heero, you are such an embarrassment sometimes."

"No, you just think I am. Just because you think something doesn't make it true," he replied.

Before a heated exchange began, pizza arrived, once again saving the day. The smell of cheese and grease was another welcome distraction and she invited her hunger back with arms wide open.

Giuliani hadn't been silent for nearly long enough before his unending need to know things bubbled over. "To whom was that comment about the circus directed at, hm? Was it your mysterious love interest?"

"As far as you are concerned, anything and everything to do with my current events is off-limits. We did the interview we both wanted and now I am done answering your questions." She took a large bite of pepperoni pizza to avoid saying more.

Heero rolled his eyes and piled lettuce and tomato on her plate. "She's upset because her mystery love interest was not very happy to find out about her secret in public."

Relena wished she could really shoot daggers from her eyes. "I hate you so much right now." She stabbed the lettuce with a plastic fork. "Always making me eat this rabbit food," she grumbled under her breath. Glaring up at him once more she added, "I do hate you."

"I love you too. You need to confess to someone that isn't involved. And lettuce is healthy."

Giuliani's bewildered expression could not have been more amusing. "I take it...is it a man or a woman...wasn't invited to your private confession party?"

"Oh, he was," Relena assured him. "But he showed up too late and I didn't get a chance to tell him before the big reveal at dinner. The only communication I've had with him since was a very short message telling me to do something unpleasant." Her stabbing became more forceful as her fork failed to keep any greenery. She threw it down on the plate. "If it's supposed to be eaten, why won't it stay on my fork? I'm not eating it. Thanks to the both of you, I've lost my appetite again."

"Stop being so bitter." Heero glanced at the clock. "It's time for you to get dressed." He speared several lettuce leaves and held them toward her mouth. "Eat this before you go. To ease my conscience."

She rolled her eyes, but chewed the salad dutifully and left to find the wardrobe assistant. Once she was out of earshot, Heero focused his gaze on the show host. "I know that this interview was a mutual desire, but if you try to use this to your advantage in any way, I will hunt you down and make your life miserable. Are we clear?"

"I believe we are." Giuliani called upon years of being in front of a camera to maintain an outward calm. "She has been betrayed enough for one lifetime. I just wanted to offer her a safe place to voice her feelings and end my show the way I wanted. As far as I am concerned, my goals have been met."

"Good." Heero ate another slice of pizza.

"Will you be accompanying Relena to the party?"

"Why?"

"There is no need to look at me so suspiciously. It's just that it is a semi-formal event and you are wearing blue jeans and a hoodie. I don't think Relena is the only one that needs to seek out the wardrobe." Giuliani shrugged. "You are going to stick out like a sore thumb and call more attention to her than necessary."

The former Gundam pilot shot the man a flat look. "My tuxedo is hanging over there."

Giuliani wiped his mouth on a napkin and stood. "I'm off to prepare myself. My room is at your disposal."

Heero waited until he could no longer hear footsteps in the corridor before pulling out his cellphone. Number three equaled Catherine. He caught himself drumming his fingers on the table and curled the offending digits into a fist.

Five rings and he was ready to punch the end button. "Sorry, Heero. I was just getting out of the shower. How are you?" Water dripped from her hair onto her shoulders. He dug his nails into his palm to focus. She grinned at his discomfort.

"Just about to change. Run this plan of yours by me again."

She exhaled impatiently. "It's going to work."

"I am not questioning the likelihood of success. I am questioning your methods. It is difficult to lay the foundation for a long-term goal. Too many unknown variables."

"Two weeks is not long-term." She rolled her eyes. "You're taking this way too seriously. It's only going to get messed up if we fret over it."

"I'm not dropping this." He frowned at the knife thrower. "We need to run through it again or I will not help you."

She propped the phone on her dresser and unwrapped the towel around her body so that she could begin drying her hair. "Our relationship is never going to last if you don't trust me."

He muttered something and she glanced at her phone to see that he had turned his head away. "What was that?"

"Our relationship is never going to last if you don't stop being such a tease."

She rested one hand on her hip as she rubbed the towel on her head. "I'm not being a tease. But I can become one in a heartbeat if you don't help me."

"I don't negotiate. Ever."

"Typical you." She laughed and started to dress. "I'll run it by you again if you let me watch you change. Heero glared at her. "I let you see me naked. The least you can do is return the favor."

"I'm not getting naked."

Catherine shimmied into her evening gown. "I happen to run into you at the harbor with the ringmaster. You suggest I join you and I agree. Relena, or you if she doesn't, asks after Trowa and I explain that he's at the hotel. You find some excuse to leave and go exchange words with my brother." She stared at her boyfriend over the phone, torn between wanting to sound stern and drooling. "Go easy on him. Anyway, I whisk Relena away and exchange words with her. Seeds will be planted and if nothing has happened after a week, we go to the beach and run into each other near the end of our week there. If they hit it off, we suggest that we go home and that Trowa stay with Relena at her place. If not, Trowa will leave and I'll stay an extra week with you two and help you cheer her up if she needs it."

"How could it possibly fail." Heero sighed. "I'll see you at the harbor. Eleven sharp."


	15. Chapter 15

Catherine was grateful that the ringmaster had yet to realize that she had tuned him out before they'd finished signing the contract to perform for some big-time law firm in September. Under any other circumstances she would have been a more respectful listener, especially since he was her boss, but scanning the harbor for a man that could only been seen when he wished it was distracting her.

"Mr Yuy and Ms Dorlain! What a pleasant surprise!" the ringmaster exclaimed, catching Catherine's attention at last. "How funny that we ran into you here!" He shot Catherine a look before turning to the couple and said, "We would love to have you come to another show." The ringmaster stepped closer to Relena and lowered his voice, taking her hands in his. "It's a dreadful shame that you resigned your post, but I just want you to know that any time you decide to visit you will continue to receive our celebrity treatment." He squeezed her hands briefly before moving back.

Relena smiled warmly at the portly man. "That is very kind of you. I'll get in touch with Catherine to find out what time would be best. Thank you so much." She looked at Catherine. "We're getting ready to go to a retirement party. Would you care to join us? You look like you're dressed for a night out."

"We went to a fancy dinner to sign some papers," Catherine explained, rolling her eyes as though it was an annoyance. "I can't believe we ran into you. Heero mentioned we would be in New York at the same time, but we didn't think we'd get to see one another. This is so exciting!"

The ringmaster turned to Catherine. "I suspect you shall be staying with your friends? Promise me you will be careful on the way back to the hotel."

The star knife-thrower began to reply, but Heero cut in. "I promise that she will be in good hands." He slipped his arm around her waist, causing her to blush.

"This is good night then. You young folks have a fun and safe evening. Oh, and Relena, I saw your interview tonight; if you are serious about joining a circus we currently have a position open. Your application will be a top priority." The ringmaster gave a courtly bow and disappeared in the crowd.

Heero raised an eyebrow at Catherine as he offered his free arm to Relena. "Don't you think that performance was a little heavy-handed?" he whispered.

"Shut up," she hissed. "It worked." Raising her voice she said, "Relena, your dress is gorgeous. Where did you get it?"

"I'm borrowing it from NBC for the time being," she explained. They joined the crowd waiting to board the cruise ship and Relena pulled away from Heero to face the couple. "You know that you don't have to pretend that it's a huge coincidence that we're all here tonight. Just because Trowa and I aren't...whatever...doesn't mean that you two have to go sneaking around to spare my feelings." Her voice didn't waver, which was a relief. Just saying his name made her throat feel tight.

Catherine offered a guilty smile as Heero shot her an "I told you so" look. "I'm sorry. That was stupid. We'll be up front about it next time, okay? Heero told me it wouldn't work anyway. You're just too smart."

Relena laughed and vowed silently to avoid asking about her best friend's girlfriend's brother.

When it became apparent that she wouldn't be asking, Heero sighed and turned to his girlfriend. "So, how is your brother doing anyway? I tried to get in contact with him a few weeks ago, but I was unsuccessful."

It was Catherine's turn to sigh. "He's thrown himself into inventing new routines and bar hopping. Anything that isn't related to me throwing knives at his head or who can down a car bomb fastest doesn't merit his attention." She shrugged. "Whaddaya gonna do? I'm his sister, not his babysitter. This trip has been a nightmare because everyone went out two nights ago to do some bar hopping and decided that they're not going to do it until we go to a different city where things are less expensive. He's been sulking since they told him and he hasn't left his hotel room since we got back from rehearsal this morning. I checked on him before dinner, but he didn't want to join us."

It was silent for a short while. Relena crossed her arms and sighed. "How long is it going to be before we get to board the ship? I want to sit down." She was dying for a drink as well. "I'm going to see if I can find Giuliani. I'll be fine, Heero. You shouldn't leave Catherine waiting alone."

Heero glared at her. "I am still responsible for your safety and I do not take that task lightly. Catherine knows how to handle herself. Right?"

The knife thrower nodded and smiled. "I don't mind, Relena. Just try to be quick, okay?"

Relena rolled her eyes. "Fine." She grabbed Heero's hand marched through the crowd.

Heero returned two minutes after. "She's going to stay with Giuliani until we board. They needed to discuss something." He glanced at his watch. "I should head to the hotel now if I'm going to make it back in time to board. Tell Relena you forgot something important and I offered to get it for you."

Catherine studied the contents of her clutch and pulled out her phone. "Here. I don't really want to be without my ID card." She kissed his cheek. "No physical abuse." She watched him walk away before making her way to Relena.

The former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs was deep in conversation with Giuliani and the morning anchorwoman. Catherine waited for a brief pocket of silence to touch her friend's shoulder. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything terribly important, but I forgot my phone at the hotel and Heero offered to get it for me. I didn't want to stand alone, so I was hoping I could join you."

Relena gave a tight smile that made Catherine feel like she was suddenly very cold. "Of course, Cathy. You're more than welcome. Alexandre, Stanya, this is Master knife-thrower Catherine Bloom. She performs in the circus I was just telling you about. You really should go and see a whole performance. It's breathtaking." She turned to the knife-thrower. "I showed them a clip from one of the shows I went to."

Catherine smiled as they praised her talent and shook hands. "It's very nice to meet you both. Mr. Giuliani, thank you so much for allowing me to join in the festivities. Happy retirement."

The former show host laughed. "The more the merrier, especially with eyes like those. I would be honored if you would join me at my table this evening and perhaps I'll get lucky and you'll gift me with a dance or two."

"That's very flattering, sir, but I would like to sit with Relena. We don't get to see one another very often because of travel." She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping he wouldn't push the invitation.

"Well, that works out well because Relena will also be seated at my table. So it's settled. I hope to get the first dance, young lady." He winked at her.

Relena shook her head. "Alex, you are barking up the wrong tree. She is in a serious relationship with Heero Yuy."

Giuliani's smile faded slightly. He inclined his head in Catherine's direction. "I am still looking forward to engaging you in delightful conversation, but I understand if you won't share a dance with me and I won't do anything to cause Mr Yuy to do anything unnecessary or embarrassing."

Catherine laughed. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll be able to sneak in one dance." Relena touched her arm to get her attention. "What's up?"

"Would you accompany me to the powder room?"

"Um, sure." She had a bad feeling about following the brunette away from people, but she couldn't refuse without being awkward. "Are you feeling okay?"

Relena smiled and pushed open a door, gesturing for Catherine to enter first. "I feel fine," she said as she pulled the door closed behind her. "However, I would be a hell of a lot better if you would tell me how you could possibly think that it was a good idea to send Heero over to your hotel to talk to Trowa." It was an effort to keep her voice down. "I don't know what you two are scheming, but it needs to end now."

Catherine was having a hard time accepting the fact that Relena knew just what her and Heero were up to, so it was only natural that her response consist of denial. "I don't know what you're talking about, Relena. I really did forget my phone. See?" She opened her clutch. "You can even do a body search, if you feel it's necessary. I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you. I know perfectly well that you gave it to Heero before he left so that you could 'prove' that you forgot it." She snorted. "There would have been a higher chance of me believing that you forgot your ID. That's not something that is easy to part with." She handed Catherine her PDA. "Call Heero and tell him to come back here now."

Catherine shook her head. "No. I'm sure he's upset with Trowa, but I made Heero promise he wouldn't hurt my brother."

"You are being stupid! I'm not concerned about Trowa's safety! In fact, I kind of hope that Heero kicks his ass because he deserves it for being such a jerk!" Relena realized she was yelling and braced herself against the sink, looking at Catherine's reflection in the mirror. She mentally counted to ten before speaking again. "I know that you two are only trying to help and I appreciate that you care about us and our happiness enough to plan out something elaborate to get us back together. I really do. It makes me happier than I can say that you care that much about me. But you need to get it through your head that forcing us back together is not going to make us happy."

She turned away from the mirror and spread her hands. "I'm in love with your brother and I'm hoping that he still loves me and that we're going to get the fairy tale ending, but I also accept that I'm existing in this plane known as reality which means that I also have to accept the fact that I hated him when he left and I still hate him because he has shut me out of his life completely. I know that what he found out about me was hard to handle and he should have heard it from me first. Everything happened so fast...I tried my hardest to tell him. But he never gave me a chance to explain and after everything Misty put us through, I thought he would be more willing to hear my side of the story. This time he is in the wrong and if he wants me back, he has to come and get me all on his own. No outside influences. If I find out that you and Heero are involved in any more attempts to play Cupid, I am severing all ties. Are we clear?"

"Yes." Catherine's voice was subdued. "I'll make that phone call now." Relena handed over her PDA and opened the door. The night air was cool and refreshing after such a closed encounter. Catherine walked a short distance away and waited impatiently for Heero to answer.

…

Trowa opened the door and laughed, but it sounded wrong. "I was wondering when you were going to darken my doorway." He left the door open and sat on the bed as Heero let himself in. "Can I offer you a drink? Scotch? Tequila?" He held up the bottles and shook them gently.

"Scotch." Heero's answer surprised the former Heavyarms pilot. "So I take it you're still not over Relena? Your room reeks of booze." Heero looked around, vaguely disappointed at the mess he found. Trowa was usually the tidiest person he knew.

"I don't want to talk about her with you." Trowa handed Heero a glass and lifted his own. "Here's to...the fact that life can still surprise me."

"Why don't you want to talk about her with me? If anything, I'm the one you should be looking to for help. I know her better than anyone." Heero took a swallow of scotch. "Is this Glendronach?"

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Aged thirty-three years in sherry casks. It was an apology gift from Misty."

Heero nearly choked. "Are you shitting me? One bottle costs nearly eight hundred dollars. How the hell could she afford that?"

The circus performer smirked and poured himself another measure of scotch. "It is not my job to ask questions, only to accept it with dignity and enjoy it at my leisure. This is delicious." He sat on the bed with his back against the wall, gesturing for Heero to take the desk chair. "I didn't have you figured for a scotch man."

"We all have our secrets," Heero replied, resting his feet on the bedpost. "You, of all people, should know that."

"What are you doing here? Catherine told me that you were meeting for a party or something."

"She forgot her phone and I volunteered to come back for it."

Trowa laughed. "Bullshit. She had her phone at the dinner meeting." He scratched the side of his nose with one finger and pointed at his visitor. "You needed to have an excuse ready for Relena, which means that Catherine is talking to her right now. Are you trying to trick us into getting back together?" He laughed. "Jesus, you better hope Relena doesn't figure it out, but I'm sure she already has. This was Catherine's idea, wasn't it? I told her not to meddle."

Heero sighed. "I told her this wouldn't work. I'm not here to convince you of anything. I had been planning on kicking your ass, if you want the truth. That time has passed now that you've shared this nectar with me. All I'm here to do is tell you something important." He finished his drink and set the glass on the desk.

"I'm all ears."

"Stay the hell away from Relena unless you mean to make amends."

Trowa leaned forward and glared at Heero. "What are you talking about? She's the one that didn't tell me she was already in another relationship, especially one with a woman that happens to be engaged to my best friend, a woman that I think is the devil incarnate! After all the problems that Misty caused, I thought Relena would want to inform me of her current relationship status."

"Her relationship with Dorothy was something that no one but the two of them knew. Dorothy never told Quatre and Relena never told me."

What Trowa said next was born from a lethal mix of alcohol, depression, jealousy and rage and he paid for it in full when Heero's fist connected with his jaw, sending him crashing into the nightstand. Trowa sat up quite slowly, one hand on his head. When he brought his fingers away he saw bright crimson. His lip was swelling rapidly and his jaw felt strange. Pain was beginning to flare throughout his body.

Heero stood over the bleeding clown, cradling his hand. "I think your jaw broke one of my knuckles." His pocket began to vibrate, but he ignored it in lieu of the situation.

"I think your knuckles broke my jaw," Trowa slurred. "Boxer's or brawler's?" He grunted as he stood. "I'm dizzy." He sat clumsily on the edge of the bed.

The former Perfect Soldier looked up from his hand and glared at his friend. "Boxer's you asshole. You deserved it and you know that."

"I know it." Trowa blinked several times and willed the room to stop spinning. "If I was sober -"

"You don't want to finish that sentence." Heero found a scarf and tied it around Trowa's head to help support his jaw and reached out a hand to help the injured man off the bed. "Come on."

"Does that mean we're going to the hospital?"

"Yeah. We need to come up with an explanation for the girls. Catherine cannot know I did this." Heero helped Trowa limp his way to the hotel lobby and asked the receptionist to call them a cab. When Trowa was settled in a chair he stepped away to check his phone and cursed quietly. He decided to blame it on Trowa's delicious scotch and returned Relena's phone call.

"Heero?" Catherine answered and it threw him off for a few seconds.

"Why are you answering Relena's phone?"

"Look, you were right. She figured it out as soon as I told her you left and she is pissed off. You need to come back now before something bad happens." Catherine's voice was low and rushed.

Heero mouthed a string of Japanese profanity before replying, "That's a negative. You and Relena are going to have to enjoy that party without me."

"What?" Her voice went from low to shrill in a split second. "What are you going to be doing in the meantime? Please don't leave me alone with her right now. She's really good at making me feel guilty."

"I need to take Trowa to the hospital. I think his jaw might be broken...and my hand." He paused as she screamed at him. "Calm down. We're going to be fine. No, I didn't do it on purpose. We had a few drinks, talked, and when it was time for me to leave, he decided to walk me to the door. I tripped over his suitcase, he tried to stop me from falling, I accidentally punched him because of how he grabbed me, he lost his balance and we ended up falling on the nightstand."

"Is that my sister?" Trowa called from across the lobby. "Lemme talk to my sister."

Heero rolled his eyes and wondered how much more he could take. "Do you want to talk to your intoxicated brother? ...of course you do." He strode across the lobby and handed the phone to Trowa. "Here. Try to keep your voice down."

Trowa held the phone up to his ear carefully. "Hey sis. I messed up." His words were badly slurred. "I said something bad and Heero punched me for it. I deserved it though. It was really, really bad. How's Relena? I hope she's making you miserable for sending Heero here. My head hurts. Whaaa."

It took all of Heero's willpower to keep his hands from strangling his former comrade-in-arms. "Hang up right now, you stupid jackass."

"Heero says I have to go now." Trowa hung up the phone and handed it back, a grim smile of satisfaction on his face. He stopped speaking unintelligibly. "That's what you get for punching me so hard, you son of a bitch."He touched his jaw gingerly. "Duo always said the easiest way to provoke you was through Relena. I didn't believe him." He held his hands out in a gesture of peace when he saw Heero's expression. "Don't worry. I'm going to stay away from her until I've figured things out. This is an experience I'd rather not reapeat."

Their cab arrived and they got in quickly, urging the cabbie to get to a hospital as quickly as slightly illegally as possible. "You are spectacularly stupid when you're drunk."

Trowa lifted one corner of his mouth. "You sound like her. And you're right. I regret what happened here tonight."

"If something like this ever happens again, I will do my best to kill you."

"Who knows?" Trowa leaned his head back. "Maybe I'd let you. Wake me when we get there."

"You aren't going to sleep." Heero looked over at the man his best friend had fallen for, studied his face for a moment. "What has happened to you?"

Trowa chuckled. "I don't know why I'm going to answer you, but I am. And it's going to be long-winded, but I guess you aren't going anywhere." He stared at the carpeted ceiling. "Ever since the war ended, I've gotten things I never thought I wanted – a home, a family, a job that I truly enjoy, women that throw themselves at me...a name that people know. It was great for a while, but I was starting to feel bored and borderline depressed. I was beginning to wonder why I bothered doing anything when I knew exactly how the day was going to end before I got out of bed in the morning."

He glanced over at Heero and offered an odd smile. "Then you brought Relena to the show one night and everything about that evening was entirely different from what I had expected. She defied every preconceived notion I held of her. She was _new_. That's what attracted me to her the most at the time. My feelings have evolved in ways I hadn't considered possible and sometimes I think that she's a highly addictive drug and I'm a junkie that can't wait for my next fix. I want her too much. Do you know what I mean?"

Trowa didn't wait for his fellow passenger's reply. "I guess what's happened to me is that I want her all to myself and I will always be competing against someone else for her affection and now I know that someone is Dorothy Catalonia."

"You really are an idiot," Heero muttered under his breath. "Did being with Dorothy stop her from loving you back? Exactly. Misty certainly wasn't your competition and neither is Dorothy. You're competing against your imagination and losing. Badly."

They arrived at the hospital and Trowa paid the fare. They showed the emergency room receptionist their top-priority medical cards and were whisked away to a different section of the hospital to await speedy treatment. "Never thought I'd actually use this thing," Heero commented, shoving the card into the back of his wallet.

"Under normal circumstances we wouldn't," Trowa replied. His jaw was beginning to feel uncomfortable and stiff. "You should have stayed with Catherine and Relena."

Heero grunted, unwilling to pursue that branch of conversation. A nurse appeared. "Mr Yuy and Mr Barton, would you mind sharing a room? We're a little backed up tonight."

"It's not a problem," Heero replied and they followed her into a small examination room.

The nurse lingered in the doorway. "Mr Yuy, Dr Annabell Brightly will be in to see you in just a moment. Mr Barton, I need you to come with me so that we can get some x-rays of that jaw. Can you tell me what happened?" Their voices faded as they walked down the hall. Heero made himself as comfortable as he could on the exam table.

Several minutes later, Dr Brightly arrived. She shook his hand as she introduced herself. "So. It says here that you sustained a work-related injury to your hand. Tell me, does your job involve punching people in the face?"

"Yes." He glared at her when she gave him a flat look. "I'm a bodyguard."

"I see." She pushed a wheeled cart over to the exam table and draped Heero with a lead apron. "Lay your hand on the table, as flat as you can, and hold still." Little did she know that he was a pro at having x-rays taken of various bones and the procedure was over quickly.

She studied the transparencies, Heero looking over her shoulder. "It isn't broken, but you should treat it like it is to prevent further injury. Good thing you know how to punch someone properly or this could have been much worse." She laughed as she began neighboring his middle and index fingers with a stretchy bandage. "I never thought I'd say something like that. " She scribbled some characters on a prescription pad and ripped the page off, handing it to Heero. "Here's a prescription for percocet. Use sparingly. You should soak your hand for ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening with Epsom salts. Other than that, leave it bandaged and don't stress your hand. You should do this for about three weeks. If it doesn't seem like it's getting better after that time, schedule an appointment with a specialist. I've added a referral if you need it."

"Thank you." He shoved the prescription in his pocket. "Do you have any idea how long it's going to be before my friend is finished?"

Dr Brightly opened the door that led into the waiting room. "I'll have the receptionist tell you if it will be longer than fifteen minutes. Goodbye, Mr Yuy."

Heero made himself comfortable in the waiting room and called Relena's phone, hoping that she would answer instead of Catherine. She picked up on the third ring.

"Catherine tells me that you broke Trowa's jaw." Relena sounded pleased. Heavy bass thumped in the background.

"Affirmative. He deserved it." Heero closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain in his hand.

"I'm sure he did. I've got your little knife-thrower calmed down so hopefully she won't try to kill you. Is your hand okay? Is Trowa in terrible pain? I kind of hope so."

He frowned. "I imagine he is in some amount of pain. You should cut yourself off from the open bar before you get into trouble. I knew I should have stayed there with you instead of trying to help Catherine with her idiotic plan."

"The things we do for the ones we love, right? Speaking of which, I love you but if you interfere with this Trowa complication again, I am going to sever ties with you permanently. That is not the alcohol talking. We'll continue this discussion in the morning." She hung up, leaving Heero with a terrible feeling in his stomach.

Trowa emerged from the back room a moment later, drugged up but able to function. "You didn't break my face, you bastard. Just dislocated it. Still hurts, but I ain't even mad. Morphine is a hell of a drug."

"Great. Can we go back to the hotel now? The ship will be coming back to the harbor at one-thirty and I plan to escort Catherine and Relena back to the hotel."

"You're staying in the same hotel as us? You suck." Trowa followed Heero back to the emergency lobby where they awaited another cab. They didn't have to wait long and Heero gave the cabbie the address to the hotel. "You're paying for this one, right?"

Heero grunted. "Only if you stop talking for the remainder of this trip." It was the last thing he would have imagined telling the former Silent Soldier. Trowa mimed zipping his lips closed and the car ride commenced in silence.

…

Relena and Catherine stumbled onto the weather-roughened planks of the harbor docks, giggling and holding on to each other to maintain balance. They walked over to a bench and sat, both removing their high-heeled shoes.

The knife-thrower groaned happily as she massaged her right foot. "Ohhh, that is so much better." She turned to Relena. "Thank you for forgiving me. I really was only trying to help."

"I know. Let's just drop it, okay? I think we've had enough drama for one evening." She glanced around as the harbor began to empty of people. "I thought Heero would be here by now. Do you think we should just head there on our own?"

Catherine yawned and grinned. "Okay, stop me if you think this is a bad idea, but I think we should hide somewhere so that we can see how he reacts when he can't find us. Then we can jump out and scare him."

Relena shook her head violently, several locks of hair falling from her updo. "Nooooo. That's a terrible idea. Gundam pilots are the last people I would ever want to catch unawares. I don't have a death wish any longer, thank you very much."

"You're no fun, Lena. C'mon, we'll just hide over here, see what happens and come out before he goes head-hunting, okay? Please? You made me feel so awful about tonight." Catherine threw in a pout that she normally reserved for Heero.

Relena narrowed her eyes. "Don't think your 'sexy pout' is going to help you convince me. I'm not allowed to be attracted to you." The former politician looked around. "I guess we can hide inside that information booth, but you have to promise me that we'll come out of hiding before something bad happens." They leaned against one another to stop the world from spinning as they made their way over to the booth. Surprising Catherine, Relena picked the lock. "Duo taught me while I was avoiding the media," she explained. "I don't think he expected me to use my new skill for evil. Man, I wish Duo were here right now to help me with this mess."

They made themselves as comfortable as they could in the cramped space, Catherine sitting on the chair and the smaller girl perching lightly on her lap, both leaning back to stay in the shadows. "Let me know if your lap starts to fall asleep," Relena whispered.

"I think I'll be okay. Hopefully Heero will arrive before that happens." Not a minute had passed before they caught sight of their target jogging briskly down the dock. "There he is," Catherine whispered excitedly. "He looks like he's in a hurry."

Relena giggled, but the sound died instantly when Heero turned around and yelled, "Hurry up! If we don't find them, I am going to hold you personally responsible!"

"Maybe if someone hadn't dislocated my jaw, I wouldn't be on painkillers and I'd be able to go faster!" Trowa retorted, but quickened his pace to catch up.

"Maybe if you weren't an idiot, I wouldn't have had to dislocate your jaw in the first place," Heero grumbled. "I don't understand why you didn't stay behind anyway. Relena is not going to want to see you like this. Speaking of which, where the hell are her and Catherine?"

Relena turned to face Catherine with a horrified look on her face. "Catherine, I can't go out there now! Oh, why is Trowa here?" she fretted.

Trowa's sister rubbed her back to calm her down. "It's going to be okay. I'll go and see if I can't get him to walk back by himself." She frowned as her happy buzz faded. "Heero really is the worst sometimes, isn't he?" They maneuvered so that she was able to exit the booth. She ducked behind the low structure and smoothed her dress and hair before stepping onto the dock once more. "Heero, there you are!" she called in greeting. Heero walked over with Trowa in tow, realizing quickly that she was intoxicated.

"Where is Relena?" he asked in reply, which earned him an angry glare. "What?"

"I'm your girlfriend and you can't take the time to say hello to me properly? What the hell is wrong with you? You care about her more than me, don't you?" Catherine stopped short when she saw Trowa up close. "Holy hell, what did you do to my brother?" She pushed past Heero to scrutinize Trowa's injuries. "Are you okay, sweetie? You look terrible!"

"I'll be fine. But seriously, Catherine, where is Relena?" Trowa asked through his stiff jaw.

The knife-thrower threw her hands in the air. "If you're both so concerned about your precious Relena, then why did you both abandon her, hm?" Twin sets of bewilderment and guilt met her gaze. "If you must know, she is safe and nearby, but do you really think she wants to see you, especially when we're both drunk off our asses?" She giggled, her happy mood returning. "Speaking of asses, Relena's is really nice. When she was sitting on me, it wasn't uncomfortable at all! What?"

"In what context was she sitting on your lap, exactly?" Heero demanded. Trowa folded his arms over his chest and glared at her.

"Oh. My. God. Get your minds out of the gutter. We didn't magically turn into horny sluts after the third drink, okay?" Catherine reached up and released her hair from the large glittery clip. "Anyway, it's getting late and all I want to do is crawl into my bed and sleep until noon." She looked between her brother and her boyfriend. "Relena doesn't want to see you right now, Trowa, and all things considered I don't think she's going to want to see you either, Heero. She probably heard this entire exchange. Morons."

Heero released the breath he'd been holding and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. She resisted for all of two seconds before melting against him. "I'm sorry, Catherine. I didn't mean to insult either one of you. I was just worried about both of you and it put me on edge. So where is she?"

Catherine turned and pointed. "She's in the information booth. We were hiding to see what would happen when you couldn't find us, but you ruined it by bringing my brother along. No offense, Trowa."

Trowa grunted and walked over to the information booth. "Shit. Heero, you're really not going to be happy about this, but..." He trailed off and waited as Heero sprinted over, already guessing what he would find.

Relena was gone.


End file.
